Travis Randal Strickland

Travis Randal Strickland, age 42, passed away in Bend, Oregon on June 4th after a 21-month battle with glioblastoma, a very aggressive brain cancer. Throughout his diagnosis, Travis held onto his hope in Jesus and lived every day loving God and loving others. Travis was born on August 6th, 1980 in San Antonio, Texas, and was the middle child of Gary & Cindy Strickland. From his first breaths as a premature infant his life was marked with miracles – God's fingerprints – such as returning to life after being pronounced dead as a newborn and his crossed eyes becoming straight after a special prayer. At an early age, Travis' heart was burdened for anyone seemingly on the outskirts of community. As a military kid, Travis' childhood was spent moving around the western United States and he graduated from Mountain Home High School in Mountain Home, Idaho in 1999. He continued his education at Fresno State University in 2005, earning a degree in Communication Disorders with a focus on Deaf Education. In recent years he completed a graduate certificate from Johnson University in Linguistics with an emphasis on Bible Translation.
Travis met his bride, Crista Lynn Brown, in the summer of 2000 in Visalia, California. The two were married on June 12th, 2004, and God gave them three beautiful children together: Zoë (17 years old), Tytus (15 years old), and Elias (13 years old). These kids adored their father and he absolutely adored them. The family motto "blessed to be a blessing" motivated the Strickland family to spend their lives together dedicated to the service of others. Before moving to Bend in 2021 due to Travis' diagnosis, Travis and his family lived for 14 years serving the under-served in North Africa. Travis valued people and valued them holistically (spiritually, emotionally, physically). He was involved in a myriad of projects such as helping to open up a physical therapy center for children with disabilities in North Africa and launched a communication class for these children and their families. Travis could often be found fixing wheelchairs or adaptive devices for his community. Travis also treasured the Bible and daily listened to scripture. He loved to learn and research, which led him to dive into Biblical theology. His heart was burdened to be personally transformed by Scripture, doing so with arms linked with those around him wherever he was. Travis was a storyteller. It was his treasuring of the Bible, its beautiful story of transforming truth and love, and his passion for connecting with people that led him into the study of Linguistics which opened doors for him to be part of Bible translation projects in North Africa.
Travis had a way of disarming people, whether that was through relatability to one of his own weaknesses or a shared love of coffee, theology, light-hearted humor, juggling, or hiking. To know Travis was to love him. Travis is preceded in death by his younger brother, Steven Allen Strickland, and by both sets of grandparents Clovis & Junice Strickland and Robert & Delma Bartee. Travis is survived by his wife, Crista, and their children, Zoë, Tytus, and Elias as well as by his parents, Gary & Cindy Strickland, and brother, RJ Strickland, and wife Kacy and his nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held June 30th at 10:30 am at Bend Nazarene Church (1270 NE 27th St, Bend, OR). In lieu of flowers, we invite you to contribute to a set of Bible Translation efforts, among three different people groups without the Scriptures, all currently underway in the country where Travis and his family served for many years. Donations may be sent to "Fund for National Bible Translators" (Project ID #: 0662), at https://www.tms-global.org/give