Gary L. Crum

1942 - 2017

Gary L. Crum

Gary Lee Crum was born on July 22, 1942 in Oceanside, California to Joe and Gretchen Crum. He lived there until he headed to University of California, Riverside, where he met Sally Robinson. They married in 1963; he graduated and began teaching. In 1966 Jason was born; Travis in 1968 and Elise in 1971.

That same year Sally and Gary loaded them up for a move to Oregon. During Christmas, they moved to the old farm near Cheshire ready to fix it up and make a home. There they raised their family, took part in a hippie neighborhood with lots of kids (goats and humans), parties, neighborhood projects and homegrown food. Gary loved to build and do crafts while Sally liked to hang out with kids and garden. The kids worked, sometimes more than they wanted to, played and ran through the woods to each other's houses, catching salamanders and occasionally crawling into beaver dens.

Junction City School District called Gary in 1972, and he taught there for 12 years. He was a gifted teacher of students who hadn't experienced success with standard instruction. He also livened up the staff lunchroom with engaging and noisy discussions. When he left Junction City High School, he taught at Chemeketa Community College for a year, then spent a successful decade at the Children's Farm Home near Corvallis.

His propensity for expressing himself in no uncertain terms was sometimes troublesome but he was often right. He spent many years on the Junction City School Board and ran for office in a number of other political contests. He was a fearless advocate and did not like to back down. Gary developed his more mature reflections not only through life experiences, but also through a lifelong interest and involvement in politics and social issues, through his time teaching students in public high schools and state facilities, and through continuing to learn in the midst of a bright, eclectic family. It was only with continual practice and deep thought that he learned to see both sides of an issue and express his thoughts peaceably.

As he mellowed he became an articulate and often profound writer. In retirement he spent several hours a day building and writing, then many happy evenings playing poker. He was generous with his energy and wit and with his woodworking skills. Gary was a true friend to many and visited faithfully any friend ill or in need. He shared his thoughtfulness and his accumulated wisdom with an extended network of friends. His friend Jerome Garger reminded us of the Native American proverb that assures: "They are not gone who live in the hearts they left behind." The response at his passing has shown that he will not be forgotten.

Gary died on December 13. His surviving family includes his wife Sally, sons Jason Crum and Travis Crum, and his daughter Elise Crum-Wendt, (Adam Wendt). He delighted in his five grandchildren: Bo Ryan Crum (Michelle), Shabir Crum, Ramyia Wendt, Kahlil Wendt, and Ellymae Crum (deceased). He also leaves a multitude of friends, relatives and neighbors.

A young woman who spent her childhood in that Cheshire valley wrote to Sally: "That Gary, I know he was a cantankerous old dog, but in my memory he always had a heart of gold." Those of us who knew and love him concur. A celebration of his life will occur in early summer at the farm.