Bernard Ryan Wolff

Bernard “Bernie” Ryan Wolff June 18, 1926 – January 6, 2016 Bernard Wolff was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1926. Our dad, husband, grandfather, teacher, veteran, activist, caregiver and Christian passed away peacefully in Portland following a decline due to dementia. Bernie was a graduate of Washington High School. He attended Reed College, later transferring to and graduating from Oregon State University with a Zoology degree in 1949. Bernie later attended Portland State University to earn credits for an elementary education certificate. He earned his Master’s degree in education in 1959 from Oregon State University. He would later earn his Doctorate of Education (Ed.D) from the University of Oregon witnessed by his family in 1968. With a strong work ethic, Bernie worked hard during his high school years and intermittently during later years at Sheridan Fruit Company. He started his own produce box distribution business with a Sheridan colleague, but was forced to sell his share when he was drafted during the Korean Conflict, serving two years and one day in the Army, stationed at the Presidio in San Francisco. After he was discharged, he began teaching elementary education in Toledo, Oregon, in 1954, then in Lake Oswego beginning in 1958. Bernie was hired by Lewis & Clark College as an Associate Professor of Education in 1962; he would be part of Lewis & Clark for 25 years, rising to the undergraduate Education Department Chairman and retiring in 1987. He later served as a teachers’ aide at Arleta Elementary School in S.E. Portland and for Garibaldi Elementary School. In an autobiographical essay he wrote, “I believe teaching is ‘increasing the probability that learning will take place.’” While at Reed College he met Sara Lee Reynolds, a fellow biology student. They dated and were later married in 1951 in San Francisco while Bernie was in the army and stationed at the Presidio. In 1955, their first son Christopher Mark was born in Newport, followed by Scott Jonathan in 1960 in Portland. Sara Lee passed away in 1982 after a courageous battle with breast cancer. After becoming involved with a death and dying support group with Carol Rouillard, they dated and were shortly married in 1985. Bernie also wrote, “I believe one shows his or her love by the way that in­dividual behaves, such as care giving to their friends and loved ones.” He was a caregiver to his mother and father, to Sara Lee during her years with cancer, later looking after Carol’s daughter following a debilitating automobile accident. He was also a caregiver to his community as well, volunteering for many organizations, including the Everett Street Drop-In Center, FISH Emergency Services as a board member, Oregon Education Association, Sellwood Moreland Improvement League (SMILE), Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, Salvation Army and many other church- and peace-related committees. He also volunteered with Carol for community projects in New Zealand, Ireland and Costa Rica. Believing that orthodox religions could be stifling, Bernie was at various times a member of a number of churches, including Montavilla United Methodist, St. John’s Episcopal in Toledo, First United Methodist in Portland, Koinonia House at Portland State University and First Unitarian in Portland. Bernie is survived by his wife Carol, by son Chris and his wife Terrie, by son Scott and his wife Concetta, as well as five Wolff grandchildren Andy, Erin, Leslie, Allegra and Ariana, and by Carol’s daughters Michelle Rouillard and her daughter Lauren Lebov, and Holly Johnson, her husband Perry and their son André, plus numerous extended family members. A Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, April 10, 2016, 2:00 PM at Agnes Flanagan Chapel, Lewis & Clark College, with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations of remembrance can be made to Sacred Flight, a group of harpists who offer end-of-life support in Portland-area hospitals and for hospice care (www.sacredflight.org), or to Habitat for Humanity (www.habitat.org).Charitable donations may be made to: Sacred Flight PO Box 6866, Portland OR 97228 Tel: 1-503-241-3344 Web: http://www.sacredflight.org Habitat for Humanity Web: http://www.habitat.org Service Information