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  • 05/22/2018

    Richard D. Acott JD ’78 passed away on February 18, 2018, at the age of 81.

    Richard was born in Fort Collins, Colorado, April 23, 1936. He earned a BA in political science from Chapman College before he was commissioned as a Marine Corps officer. He received his naval aviator wings in 1957. While stationed in Florida, Richard met the love of his life, Constance, and they were married within a month of their first date.

    During 1966–67, Richard flew 115 combat missions from Chu Lai, Vietnam, in the A4 Skyhawk. His awards and citations included the Distinguished Flying Cross.

    After his Marine Corps experience, Richard worked in the insurance business and was owner/broker of a real estate company. Following law school, he was in private law practice, worked as a deputy district attorney, and was appointed to the county court bench as a magistrate.

    Throughout his life, Richard had an enduring love of art. In 1988 he began studying sculpture at the Loveland Colorado Art Academy. In 1995 he opened a studio in Loveland, changing his career one last time.

    Richard was preceded in death by his son Stephen and grandson Jesse. He is survived by his wife, Constance; his daughter, Lorri; sons Garret and Phillip; eight grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren

  • 09/18/2020

    Mathew (Russell) Smebak Abts JD ’11 passed away peacefully at home in Minneapolis on May 22, 2020, with his wife at his side. He was 41.

    Mathew was born on March 13, 1979, in Minneapolis to Thomas and Martha Abts. He grew up in Rochester, Minnesota, and developed a lifelong interest in programming, gaming, and music. Mathew left high school to travel through Europe. When he returned, he earned his GED and, shortly before 9/11, joined the air force. He served as an intelligence analyst and specialized in Mandarin Chinese and not getting in trouble for reading Chinese comics while on duty.

    When he left the military, Mathew drove cross-country in his beloved Buick, doing research for the FBI and studying electrical engineering, finance, and criminal justice. He started and sold a private investigation firm in Colorado, earned his bachelor’s degree online, was an over-the-road truck driver, worked as an EMT, learned to sail, and played in professional poker tournaments. He spent several years auditing circulation data for major U.S. newspapers and earning impressive loyalty-point balances at low-budget hotel chains.

    Mathew completed a law externship with an arbitration firm in Beijing, where he bought remarkably durable knock-off Ralph Lauren polo shirts that he wore throughout the rest of his life. He qualified as a CPA in 2014. His love of a good story and good people was evident throughout his life. He also never ever stretched the truth about anything.

    While living in a camper van in southern Oregon and serving with AmeriCorps, Mathew met the love of his life. He and Nancy Smebak moved to Champaign, Illinois, where she earned her master’s degree. The couple relocated to the Twin Cities where Mathew went to work, in his words, “hunting down millionaires” for the IRS, and Nancy began her career as a city planner. They were married in 2016, and their daughter Helena was born in 2018.

    Mathew is survived by his wife and daughter; parents, Tom and Marti; and sisters Amy and Jennifer; as well as a great many far-flung friends he considered family.  

  • 01/15/2021

    Robert McLelland Mercer BS ’53, JD ’57 died September 4, 2020. He was 89. Bob was born September 19, 1930, to Robert and Jessie Mercer in Coos Bay, Oregon.

  • 03/25/2020

    Dennis J. Hubel JD ’76 died at home September 16, 2019, after several years of undergoing surgeries and treatments for myeloma cancer, heart disease, and pulmonary problems. He was 71.

    Dennis, a native New Yorker, grew up in Portland and most recently lived in Wilsonville. After attending Cornell University on a Navy ROTC scholarship and studying engineering, he spent time in the Navy on a nuclear submarine and served in Vietnam.

    Following his service, Dennis enrolled in law school, clerking for then-U.S. Attorney Sid Lezak. He practiced law as a partner in Mitchell, Lang & Smith from 1976 to 1987. Dennis then worked as a partner for the Karnopp Peterson firm in Bend until he was appointed as a part-time magistrate judge in eastern Oregon in 1995. He was appointed to a full-time magistrate judge’s seat on January 1, 1998, and moved his chambers to Portland. Although Dennis retired in January 2015, he remained on recall status and maintained his chambers at the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse until his death.

    Dennis was active in the Professional Liability Defense Fund and served for several years on the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference’s Magistrate Judges’ Education Committee. He also served on the Mount Bachelor Ski Education Foundation board of directors from 1993 through 1997.

    Dennis is survived by his wife, Marcia, and two children.

  • 11/23/2020

    Christian Hooley JD ’90 passed away November 1, 2020, at his home in Nehalem, Oregon, surrounded by his loved ones. Chris practiced law in Tillamook, Oregon, for nearly 30 years and was an exceptional husband, father, son, and brother. He was respected and loved by many and will be missed tremendously.

  • 08/15/2022

    David Albrecht LLM ’98—Rear Admiral, JAGC, USN (Ret.)—died on August 12, 2022. David served in the U.S. Navy for 32 years, the majority of which were spent in the Judge Advocate General Corps. He served with distinction throughout his career and retired as an admiral in 1995. David then went on to be a professor at Concordia University in Portland, where he taught in the School of Management for 18 years.

  • 07/07/2020

    Teunis James Wyers Jr. JD ’76 passed away on August 26, 2019, surrounded by family at his home in White Salmon, Washington. He was 73.

    Teunis was born in Hood River, Oregon, on April 4, 1946, to Teunis and Lucile Wyers. During his high school years he worked on the Kreps Ranch bucking hay during the summer. After graduating high school in 1964, he briefly studied sociology at the University of Oregon. 

    Teunis married Barbara Ann Clemmons on May 25, 1968, shortly after joining the U.S. Navy. He completed his military training while Barbara attended business school in Portland. Following his honorable discharge in 1972, Teunis completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Oregon. He passed the bar exam one month before his father, also an attorney, died in 1976. Teunis moved back to Hood River to take over the law practice, where he remained until 2010. He practiced in Bingen, Washington, from 2010 to 2019.

    Teunis married Sheila Mortenson in 1981 and Pat Kreps on July 31, 1993. He enjoyed horseback riding and packing, hunting, traveling, camping, restoring antique cars, tinkering, and community service.

    Teunis is survived by his wife Pat Kreps Wyers; daughters Johanna Katherine Wyers and Darcy Lefebvre; sons Teunis Gerbrand Wyers and Randy Wyers; a granddaughter; several stepchildren and step-grandchildren; brother Jan Wyers; and sister Karen Robertson, as well as many nieces and nephews.

 

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