Linfield Hall of Famer Ray Simonsen died March 11, 2017.
He was enshrined in Linfield's Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003.
Read Ray’s Hall of Fame bio:
(Photo from Ray’s Hall of Fame posting at Linfield Athletics
Website.)
He graduated from Oregon’s Cottage Grove High School in
1951. After attending Linfield, he served in the U.S. Army and then returned to
Linfield on the G.I. Bill.
According to Linfield Athletics records, Ray lettered in
football in the 1951, 1957, 1958 and 1959 seasons and in track in 1952.
A sports column in the Oct. 7, 1958, Oregonian said, “Ray
Simonsen, Linfield junior end, and Dan Simonsen, Oregon State College tackle,
are brothers. Ray is a service veteran. Both are products of Cottage Grove High.”
An Oregonian football game story in the Nov 2, 1958, describing Linfield’s
34-7 win over Portland State on the Roosevelt High School field in Portland
included, “Ray Simonsen, Linfield end, made several spectacular tackles,
tossing Portland State players for losses.”
After Ray and Roberta Wells married in 1954, they lived in Fort
Hood, Texas, where he was stationed in the U.S. Army at the Fort Hood army
base.
The summer 2016 Linfield Magazine said, Ray and Roberta “dedicated
their careers to educating young people in Yamhill County schools. Because they
believe that Linfield had a life-changing impact on who they became and the
opportunities they’ve had, they have faithfully supported the college through
scholarship and athletic donations. They recently decided to ensure their financial
support would continue beyond their lifetimes by creating a new endowed fund to
support Linfield Athletics. The endowment will provide annual gifts in
perpetuity that equal what they’ve been giving the past several years.”
Here is Ray’s obituary from May 14, 2017, McMinnville
N-R/News-Register:
RAYMOND ELMO SIMONSEN
1934 - 2017
Raymond Elmo Simonsen was born April 1, 1934. The beloved
husband, father, son, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle to many
and community leader passed away March 11, 2017, surrounded by family.
He grew up in Lynx Hollow, Oregon, where he and Roberta
Wells met as neighboring children. They married in 1954, and daughters Pamela
and Annette joined the family in 1955 and 1959.
His dedication to family, education and sports began at an
early age. Ray attended Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon, on a sports
scholarship. He was an NAIA All-America offensive and defensive lineman,
earning Little All-America honors as a junior.
In service of his country, Ray joined the Army for two years
and returned to Linfield to continue his education on the G.I. Bill. He
continued his service in the Oregon National Guard and retired as a lieutenant
colonel after serving 28 years.
Ray graduated from Linfield with a bachelor’s degree in
education in 1960 and a master’s degree later that year while a committed
husband and father. He was inducted into the NAIA District 2 Football Hall of
Fame in 1993 and Linfield’s Hall of Fame in 2003, and was a proud member of
Linfield’s current streak of 61 consecutive winning football seasons.
His passion for education led him to 34 years in education
administration, where he served as superintendent, assistant superintendent,
principal, vice principal and assistant coach for football, wrestling and
baseball at Newberg and Sheridan high schools. He served for two years as the
director of student teaching and an assistant coach for football and baseball
at Linfield.
His servant’s heart led him to join and help lead many
community organizations, including Newberg Rotary, United Way, March of Dimes,
Special Olympics and Upward Bound.
He was the chairman of the Newberg Rotary
scholarship committee for several decades, and a Rotarian for 52 years.
A
humble man, he was recognized as Newberg Citizen of the Year in 2008 from the
Chamber of Commerce and Rotarian of the Year in 2013-2014. Ray and Roberta were
recognized during the annual Hearts of Gold Celebration by Providence Newberg
Foundation in 2013, and the Newberg School District also proclaimed June 18,
1999, as “Ray Day.”
A strong man of faith, Ray was a devoted member of the
Newberg Presbyterian Church for nearly seven decades, where he served as an
Elder. He sang tenor in the church choir and Portland’s Singing Christmas Tree,
raising his eyebrows to hit the especially high notes. He was an equally
devoted member of the Linfield alumni, introducing many family and friends to
his joy of cheering on the Wildcat football team.
Ray was an avid reader, lover of all sports, competitive
bridge player and a longtime member of the “Dandy Dancers.” A shy man at heart
with a playful sense of humor, he was the proud patriarch of a large extended
family. Spending time with his family and friends was his greatest joy in life.
His memory will be honored by his wife of 62 years, Roberta
Simonsen; two children, Pamela (Tim) Weaver of Dundee, Oregon, and Annette
(Chuck) Watson of Newberg; brother, Dan (Jean) Simonsen of McMinnville;
brothers and sisters throughout Oregon; grandchildren and great-grandchildren,
and the thousands of students whose lives he touched.
A celebration of life will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday,
March 18, at Newberg Christian Church, 2315 Villa Road, Newberg. In honor of
his beloved alma mater, attendees are invited to wear red, purple or Linfield
gear. In lieu of flowers, donations in his honor are requested to the Newberg
Rotary Scholarship Fund, Linfield’s TopCat Club or any youth programs.
