OBITUARY:
SALEM - Willard Morse Glaze was born in Salem, Ore. to Charles and Ethel (Snyder) Glaze. He was a 3rd generation Oregonian and grew up on the family farm on "The Wallace Road". He attended Garfield and Brush College Elementary schools and graduated from Salem High School. Willard served in World War II as a Master Sgt. in the Artillery. While stationed in San Diego he met his wife, Agnes. They were married for 61 years, until she preceded him in death in 2006.
Willard retired from U.S. Bank, Ladd and Bush branch after working there for 45 years, rising from teller to Vice President even though he never attended college. His good friend Rex Gibson took this honest country boy under his arm and taught him the banking business from the ground up. He was well respected by his co-workers and was awarded Boss of the Year award. After serving as president of the Marion County chapter of the American Institute of Banking, Willard was later named president of the Marion-Polk County Bankers Association.
In keeping with his country heritage, Willard would do anything to help the farmer, so on weekends and evenings he picked peaches and cherries to help bring the crops in, worked at Willamette Cherry Growers, and kept the books for 60 years for his friend Fred Stettler at his pump and irrigation business. Willard loved fishing and Oregon history, and related fond memories of the road trips across Oregon that he and Rex took together. They spent many a fishing trip at Marion Forks.
His family was the most important thing in his life, and he was extremely proud of all of his children and grandchildren, instilling honesty and a sense of hard work in his family.
Willard was a gourmet cook and loved to present new dishes for family and friends. His other passion was the beach house he built with his father in 1962. To Willard, the weather was always "perfect" at the Oregon coast. If he wore more than a tee shirt, while cutting wood for the stove it was his rain hat.
Survivors include four children, a daughter, Claudia Jones; and three sons, Gary (Ann), Greg (Susan), and Rich (Judi). He is also survived by six grandchildren, Sarah (Jeston) Black, Sarah (Chris) Schulte, Andrew, Justin, Ainsley, and Logan Glaze.
There will never be another Willard Glaze and he will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.
Services will be held at 1 p.m., Tuesday, May 1, at Virgil T. Golden Funeral Service with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association or Willamette Valley Humane Society.
StatesmanJournal 28 Apr 2007
|
