Jon Knute Digerness

Jon Digerness was born and raised in Silverton, Oregon. The only child of Knute and Fran Coberly Digerness. He graduated from Silverton High School in 1962 and “after five years’ of many majors graduated from U of Oregon. He began an exceptionally brief career with the United States Customs Service searching car trunks, cadavers, truculent pedestrians, and various polite-but evasive college students at the Tijuana border”.

He then worked at McClellan AFB as a civilian computer programmer in 1970s and ‘80s. There he met his partner in life Bonnie (BJ) Nieland. In 1992 he went to work at the Office of Legislative Counsel of California where he proof read bills, legal opinions and general legal publications. This warped him for all future reading as he noticed and remarked on all misspellings and grammar errors even in restaurant menus or signs.

He enjoyed drawing (especially political cartoons), painting in several mediums, listening to music and studying astronomy, his first love. He always made friends where ever he went and will be missed by all.

He retired from LCB in 2006 after kidney failure. After 3 years on dialysis he received a kidney transplant which served him well until his death. BJ was by his side when he died at Kaiser Morse on Dec 19, 2013 after a fall.

Per his wishes there will be no funeral. His ashes will be scattered where he requested by family and friends later next year.