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Winter 2003 | Volume 26, Number 1 | Footnotes

In Memoriam

BEATRICE LEWIS BREY BACKLUND ’30 died on November 6, 2002, at the age of 93. Born in Alberta, Canada, she attended Whidbey Island High School in Washington, Seattle Pacific Normal School and SPC. She also earned a degree from the University of Washington. She was a member of the Crossroads Neighborhood Church in Bremerton, Washington; Warm Beach Senior Community; and the Gideons. Beatrice’s first husband, Robert Brey, taught instrumental music and band at SPC from 1947–50. After his death, Beatrice married Lawrence Backlund in 1962. She was preceded in death by her husband and one son. She is survived by two sons, daughter DARLENE BACKLUND BROOKS ’61, 15 grandchildren, 26 greatgrandchildren, brother JONIE LEWIS ’38 and sister MYRA LEWIS CLOUGH ’32.

DEBRA ROBISON BOND ’89 died on December 13, 2002, of cancer. She was 36 years old. After graduating from SPU, Debra earned a paralegal degree from Edmonds (Washington) Community College and then worked as a paralegal and accountant for the David Rovang Law Office in Port Orchard, Washington. In Port Orchard, she later worked as an accountant for Hope Roofing. She enjoyed reading, landscaping, music, design and decorating. Debra is survived by her husband, Frederick, a son and a daughter, her parents and two brothers.
Emeritus Professor Conveyed the Beauty of Mathematics

DAVID BROOKS ’58,
emeritus professor of mathematics at SPU, died on November 28, 2002, after a battle with lymphoma. He was 66.

David was born to missionary/teacher parents in Farmington, New Mexico, on the border of the Navaho Nation. His father eventually became dean of students at Wheaton College in Illinois, and later a dean at a California college.

In 1954, David came to Seattle to attend SPC. After graduating, he earned a master of science degree from the University of Washington (UW) in 1960 and a Ph.D. in biostatistics from the UW in 1978. He joined the faculty of Seattle Pacific College in 1967 and taught mathematics there for 32 years. David also taught at the UW, delivering his last lecture to his statistics class just three weeks he died.

“David modeled for us in the Mathematics Department good teaching, being a good colleague and maintaining a good sense of humor in the face of a sometimes-difficult classroom audience,” says Robin O’Leery, former colleague and associate professor of mathematics at SPU.

A longtime resident of Seattle’s Queen Anne Hill, David had a wide range of interests, including coin-collecting, paleontology and the origins of man. But his passion was to help others discover the elegant beauty of mathematics. His artwork based on mathematical theorems was featured in the Queen Anne News.

David is survived by his wife of 44 years, artist JACKIE HANSEN BROOKS ’57; two sons, including JEFFREY BROOKS ’83; and four grandchildren.

ROLLIN “ROLY” COCHRANE ’61 died on February 14, 2002. After graduating from SPC, Roly earned a master’s degree from Stanford University and later accepted a position as a professor in Stanford’s French Department. He published a textbook on written French (Prentice Hall) in 1973, and then moved to Europe to continue his language studies, add fluency in the Dutch language, and became a translator in the fields of business and the arts. Roly was known for his love of languages, music and literature. He is survived by a brother and five cousins, including DON COCHRANE ’47, GORDON COCHRANE ’60 and MARGE COCHRANE COOK ’41.

JACK MACDONALD ’50 died on November 28, 2002, at the age of 74. Born in Tyee, Washington, he and his family settled in Seattle when he was 12 years old. Jack met his future wife while attending SPC, and he and VELMA WARREN ’51 married in 1950. After a stint in the U.S. Army, he began teaching in the Seattle School District. He taught at South Central Elementary School, McDonald Elementary School and Jane Addams Junior High School, but spent the majority of his 39- year career teaching biology and botany at Lincoln High School and Franklin High School. He was also an accomplished high school tennis coach and directed the North Seattle Church Basketball League for many years. During the summers, he worked for Lincoln Moving and Storage. An avid supporter of SPU athletic programs for the past 50 years, Jack was serving as president of the Falcon Club at the time of his death. He is survived by his wife; two sons and two daughters, including KAREN MACDONALD BIRK ’77; six grandchildren; brother NORMAN MACDONALD JR. ’45; and sister PATRICIA MACDONALD ’45.

DAVID OATFIELD ’63
died on September 21, 2002, at the age of 67. Raised on the family farm in Skamokawa, Washington, David enjoyed working for his father’s logging outfit on weekends and in the summers. After graduation from high school, he attended Lutheran Bible Institute in Issaquah, Washington, for two years before transferring to SPC. He later settled with his wife, Donna, in Seaview, Washington, where he taught fourth and fifth grades in Ilwaco and Long Beach schools for 10 years. He returned to logging, however, and from 1973 to 1999, he operated heavy equipment at Grays River Logging and Willapa Logging. David served as a deacon, youth leader, elder and Sunday school teacher at Chinook Lutheran and Ilwaco Community churches. He was a volunteer for the Gideons, Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship and His Supper Table. He is survived by his wife, three daughters and eight grandchildren.

JOEL RENNELLS ’45 died on February 17, 2002. He was 88 years old. Born in Albany, Oregon, Joel moved to Yakima, Washington, after high school to attend Bible school. The following year he became pastor of the Oroville Free Methodist Church in Oroville, Washington. Wanting a college education, he eventually enrolled at SPC, where he was in charge of the Personal Workers Hour at a Presbyterian radio station. There he met Fern McGuire, and the two later married. Six months after the birth of their daughter, Fern died of cancer. Joel and his daughter moved to Chehalis, Washington, where he eventually met and married Leona Stillman. After serving in the ministry for nine years, he returned to SPC to obtain teaching credentials. Joel then began a 22- year teaching career in the Seattle Public Schools. He was actively involved in the Seattle Teachers Association, the Gideons, SPU’s Society of Fellows and the Shoreline Free Methodist Church. Joel is survived by his wife, Leona; one daughter; one son, LEON RENNELLS ’70; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

NANCY STEWART REYNOLDS ’69
died unexpectedly on October 7, 2002, at the age of 55. Nancy grew up in Oregon and was active in ministry even as a child. She began teaching Sunday school before age 10 and took charge of a Sunday school department by age 12. After high school, she attended SPC, where she met her future husband, CLIFF REYNOLDS ’67. Following graduation, Nancy taught for two years in the David Douglas School District in Portland, Oregon; took a year of seminary training at Portland’s Western Baptist Theological Seminary; and pursued graduate studies in the education of children with special needs. In 1974, she and Cliff joined North American Indian Ministries (NAIM). They ministered in British Columbia before moving to Saskatchewan in 1981. While serving under NAIM, Nancy taught English to immigrants at the Multicultural Centre in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. She is survived by her husband, Cliff, and four sons, including AARON REYNOLDS ’99.

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