Lambda Chi Alpha - Oregon State University

Page 4 Loren E. Piper '53-626 regrets not attending the 100th anniversary in Portland. He has five grandchildren: KJ, Niklaus, Mattius, Kiki, and Edward. He lives in Moraga, CA. Email: leposu55@gmail.com Jim G. Nelson '66-768 and Stephanie sold their house and moved 13 miles north to Bend, OR, after living in Sunriver, OR, for 10 years. They are downsizing for planned retirement and have less snow to shovel in the winter. Email: off2ct@yahoo.com Michael J. Buroker '66-784 lives in Damascus, OR, and enjoys traveling. Email: mjburoker@damascuslaw.net Dennis R. Zerba '68-812 lives in Portland, OR, and does maintenance work for his church. He also enjoys travel and motor home trips. Email: dennis_zerba@msn.com Ed J. Gellner '68-816 and his wife, Carolyn, have been blessed with decent health, which allows them to really enjoy retirement. They live in Alamo, CA, and would love to hear from any brothers who pass through the Bay Area. Email: candegellner@gmail.com Keith W. Barfknecht '73-905 joined the Air Force in 1974 and retired after 30 years. He lives in Corvallis, OR. Email: keith6279@comcast.net Bruce Eriksen '75-953 and his wife, Rhonda, are happily married and happily retired. The first four years of retirement, they traveled the country in an RV. They now split their time between Bend, OR, Fernandina Beach, FL, and Maui, HI. Their daughter, Mackenzie, recently moved to Florida, and their son, Bryce, and his partner, Anna, live in Stockholm, Sweden, with their beautiful children, Ella and James. Email: aberiksen55@gmail.com Ron "Pluck" Plucker '75-958 moved to Japan and is loving it. His wife, Kyoko, and son, Cooper, are enjoying their Japanese side of the family, and they all love the food, culture, and people. "Having traveled around the world eight times in the Navy, Japan was always my favorite country—for good reason!" Email: ronald.c.plucker.civ@army.mil Ron J. Susa '79-1032 retired from Chevron Corporation in December 2020 after 40 years with the company. He stays busy on a variety of boards and organizations and enjoys spending time with his three granddaughters. Ron and Connie live in Danville, CA. "Give us a holler if you're ever in the area!" Email: rjsu@yahoo.com George C. Kirkmire '80-1059 and his wife, Kerin, have been married 32 years. Their son, Colin, and daughter-in-law, Emily, had a baby in July 2021. George and Kerin live in Olympia, WA. Email: kgkirkmire@msn.com Kenny H. Allen Jr. '01-1557 got married this summer ("For the first time ever!") and lives in Portland, OR. Email: kjr1557@hotmail.com Gemunu B. Amarasinghe '11-1749 is a music producer based in Beaverton, OR. "Always learning and getting involved." Email: gemunu1@yahoo.com Andrew A. Holt '13-1787 is the proud father of his first son and future Lambda Chi, Emmett Winston Holt. Andrew lives in Austin, TX. Email: aahwany@gmail.com Alec W. Dehnert '14-1791 lives in Seattle, WA, where he's worked for Boeing as an engineer since graduation. Email: alecdehnert@gmail.com Alpha Lambda Alumnotes D avid Toth '00-1544 and Dennis Thonstad '00-1547 honored Justin Brady '00-1546 in making gifts to Building for Our Second Century. Justin embodied what it meant to be a Lambda Chi, as David Toth describes: "Young men who genuinely want to do good for themselves and others thrive and flourish in ΛXA. That's exactly who Justin was and what he did with his life. ΛXA was a great fit for Justin and so many brothers because it helps them grow and further develop those internal traits." Upon earning his construction engineering degree at Oregon State, Justin joined the Peace Corps in January 2005. Justin wrote: "I want to know what it is like to live, work, eat, smell, and sleep in a place that is outside of everything I have known so far. I want to gain the experiences of another part of the world, and at the same time, try to give back as much as I've been given." He began his Peace Corps service in the West African country of Mali, serving the small village of Donthieribougou, which had neither drinking water nor electricity. Justin threw himself into working for the village. He worked alongside members of the community to build a well, improve latrines, and construct soak pits and hand washing stations. He took an interest in the challenges faced by Malian women and involved over 200 of them in a gardening project to increase their income and improve their nutrition. On an adventure with a friend and fellow Peace Corps volunteer, Justin died in September 2006 at the age of 27 when the mast of their sailboat hit a power line on a Niger River tributary. Kateri Clement, director of the Peace Corps in Mali, said: "I've known many volunteers; Justin inspired me. His intelligence, his artistic abilities. I was in awe of what he was able to accomplish." Justin was born and raised in Bend. His mother described how Justin's sense of purpose and zest for life was evident in his early youth – even from day one. She delivered him soon after arriving at the hospital. The physician joked that she should name him 'Just in Time.' John Desmarteau '02-1561 highlights one his favorite memories of Justin: "Justin would challenge me to do something to the best of my ability. He always wanted me to prove him wrong and then push me to do more. Justin wanted to get the best out of each of us. He provided support all the way through, and then he would ask me to push myself further. Justin was more than willing to put time aside just to help a brother succeed and was a mentor to many." ΛXA's seven core values tell us not to look for flaws in others, but to look within our heart and spirit. We cannot control the actions of others, but we can control the men we chose to be, so why not be great? Justin was a great brother and role model for his ΛXA brothers. He set a standard for what it means to be a ΛXA brother. A LIFE AND SPIRIT OF SERVICE | Tribute to Justin Brady '00-1546

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