Class Notes

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.

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.

William “Sam” S. Simpson JD ’81 of Otsego, Michigan, passed away June 9, 2015. He was 68 years old.

Sam was born February 7, 1947, to Florence and Ray Simpson. He graduated from Otsego High School with honors and attended Michigan State University, where he met his wife of 43 years, Elaine K. Sheehan.

After returning to his hometown of Otsego, Sam was employed by Old Kent Bank as a commercial loan documentation officer. He later specialized in wills, trusts, and banking regulations. Sam also served on the Otsego City Commission and helped establish the Otsego Area Historical Society.

Sam had a lifelong interest in amateur radio; his call sign was KC8OZG. His passions were cooking, the Upper Peninsula, and animal welfare.

Constance “Connie” Emerson Crooker died April 10, 2015, at her home. She was 68 years old.

Connie was born July 23, 1946, in Portland, Maine, to Reverend Charles W. Crooker and Elizabeth (MacGregor) Crooker Bates. She earned a BA from Reed College.

Connie established a criminal defense practice focusing on the Hispanic community and led efforts in Oregon to professionalize the use of interpreters in the courts. She was also the first woman in Oregon to contract with the state to run a Public Defenders office, serving the community of Tillamook for many years.

Following her retirement Connie avidly pursued a wide array of interests, including skiing, hiking, camping, dancing, singing, and playing the guitar. She also relished traveling abroad and studying foreign languages. One of her passions was writing. Connie wrote and published several books, including Melanoma Mama: On Life, Death, and Tent Camping, in which she shared her experiences on a solo cross-country trip to celebrate her unexpected reprieve from ongoing cancer treatments, and Doc Jackson’s Letters Home: A Combat Medic’s 1968 Letters From Vietnam, which was released on April 30, 2015, the 40th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam conflict.

Survivors include her three siblings and their spouses: Carol and Deane Farnsworth, Charles and Adrian Crooker, and Catherine Crooker and Griff O’Brien. Connie is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

Gary Marlette died on February 16, 2016, at his home. He was 76 years old.

Gary was born on March 26, 1939, in Redfield, South Dakota. He attended Redfield High School, where he was a football and track athlete, a member of the glee and chorus clubs, and active in many other student organizations.

Soon after he graduated high school, Gary’s family moved to Longview, Washington, and he enrolled at St. Martin’s College in Lacey. In 1964, he began law school and married JoAnn Berks. The couple moved to Baker, Oregon, after Gary graduated and he practiced law there until he retired in 2007. He and his family enjoyed many summers on the Snake River while bird hunting, fishing, camping, boating, and skiing.

Gary is survived by his wife, two daughters, a daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren.

Alvin Lawrence Andrews JD ’56 passed away December 25, 2015, at his home. He was 88 years old.

Al was born March 12, 1927, to Ellis and Leona Andrews. He was raised in Ontario, Oregon, where he lived until graduating from high school and joining the U.S. Navy near the end of World War II. Following his discharge, Al attended Eastern Oregon State College and the University of Oregon until he was recalled to active duty at the onset of the Korean conflict to serve aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Boxer. After his military service he completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Oregon.

Al worked as partner in the firm of Fitzwater, Fitzwater and Andrews before beginning a solo neighborhood practice in North Portland in the late 1960s. He closed his office in early 2000 to become a full-time caregiver for his beloved wife, Darlene (Devine), whose death preceded his.

Al was a member of the Oregon State Bar, Bethel Baptist Church, and Peninsula Kiwanis Club for over 50 years. He was a longtime supporter of the Mount Hood Kiwanis Camp for children with special needs. He was also a member of the U.S.S. Boxer Association and had an interest in hunting, hiking, genealogy, stained glass, music, and the Oregon Ducks.

Al is survived by his children, Connie Stahly, Kris Wilkinson, Steve Andrews, Dixon Andrews, and Tony Andrews; two sisters, Florence Conant and Margaret Diehl; 12 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; and close friend Betty Doble.

Walter David Alley JD ’60 died on July 29, 2016. He was 86 years old.

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