Rob Roy Cameron

He was born May 17, 1921 at home near Central Point, Oregon, the second son of John and Hattie May (Pence) Cameron. He got to meet his half-brothers and sister John R, Addie, and Edward H. Cameron from his father's first marriage, but they were grown and on their own when his father and mother married. As a young boy Roy enjoyed living on the family farm at the base of Table Rock where he and his brother Earl James went barefoot all summer, helped with chores and walked one and a half miles to the two-room country school.

In 1928, when he was seven years old, his father died. A year later his mother married Lehi Hardman and had three more children, his half-sisters and brother Gretta, Neil and Phyllis. In January of 1933 his mother died and the children were all separated. Roy went to live with his grandmother Ollie Pence in Medford, Oregon. He was 11 years old. He loved learning and did well in the Medford schools. He did any jobs he could to help with money during those Great Depression years. In 1938 – 39 he delivered telegrams on his bicycle and worked at two different grocery stores. He attended the First Christian Church were he met Dorothy Viola Hansen at youth group functions. In 1939 he graduated from Medford High School.

In 1940 he got a job with California-Oregon Power Company (COPCO). He was delivering Electric Bills by hand using his own car when World War II started, December 7, 1941. He and Dorothy married December 28, 1941. He lost his job at COPCO to a 3¢ Stamp in March 1942 when the government declared all non-essential use of autos was to end.

He applied for a position with the Oregon State Highway Department and he was hired. He started work as a Rear-Chainman April 1, 1942. He worked his way up to Paving Inspector before he had to join the military. His son, Donald was born in October and he joined the Navy in November 1942.

He was an Aviation Radioman Third Class. After basic training in Farragut, Idaho he went to the Naval Air Station at Alameda, California then to Aviation Radar School in Memphis, Tennessee. After graduation he served as an Instructor in the highly classified Airborn Radar School in Memphis for the next two and a half years. Dorothy and Donald were able to join him there. He was Honorably discharged from active duty December 5, 1945 and was enlisted in the Navy Reserve. He took his family back home to Medford and they lived with Grandma Pence until he found permanent employment.

In February 1946 Rob hitchhiked to Roseburg and applied at the Regional State Highway Department for a job. He was hired immediately. There were two positions available, one in Grants Pass and the other in Coos Bay. He chose to go to Coos Bay. Shortly afterward he moved his family to North Bend where he found housing.

He started out as a Chainman poking in survey stakes but shortly was promoted to Head chainman then to Transitman. He was honorably discharged from the Naval Reserve in February, 1952. In 1955 he applied for the job of Civil Engineer II and received the promotion December 30, 1955.

After his promotion he worked on several State Highway projects in Eastern Oregon with offices based in Halfway, Baker, Ontario, Baker (again) and LaGrand. In 1965 he moved to Oregon City and was Project Manager on several projects around the Portland area. The project he found most satisfying was the section of I-205 from 10th Street to I-5. That section of freeway won second place in a national competition for “best freeway in its environment.” It was designated a Veterans Memorial Highway and was the only freeway in Oregon to be named a Scenic Highway. His last project was the Oregon City by-pass, Highway 213 from I-205 to Clackamas Community College.

Rob retired after 40 years from the Oregon State Highway Department on January 1, 1983. He received the ODOT Safety Excellence Award for working 40 years without a disabling injury on the job.

Rob Roy was an inspiration to many people. Whatever he did, he did it joyfully and with his whole heart. In North Bend he fished in the from the rocks and helped feed the family with fish from the ocean, he joined the men's garden club and raised beautiful Dahlias. In Halfway and Baker he hunted deer and once bagged a six point buck. He raised vegetables in his back yard garden in Oregon City and with Dorothy was a member of the African Violet Society for several years.

He was a man of strong faith in God and did what he could to share that faith. He was an active member of every church he joined serving in various jobs such as Sunday School Teacher and Superintendent, Choir Member, Deacon and Elder. After moving to Oregon City he was a member of Clackamas Bible Church and Gideons International and for over fifty years a Men's Breakfast Bible Study Group that meets in Shari's Restaurant.

He was wise and humble at the same time, known for his “Cameronisms,” he could dispense wisdom with just the right word or story for the occasion. He always marveled that he was so blessed. Blessed to be a poor, barefoot farm-boy that ended up with a great job he loved doing for 40 years. Blessed to have Hugh Gatley, a member of the heart surgery pioneering Starr Team for his surgeon when he had his four-way by-pass surgery in 1996. Blessed to live in a time when pacemakers were available. Blessed to have seen all the changes from no indoor plumbing or electricity to computers and the space age. And most especially blessed with the love of a GOOD woman for more than 70 years.

Rob Roy is survived by his three children: Son, Donald Edwin Cameron (Marsha) of Medford, Oregon; Daughters Janet Ellen Vernon (David) and Mary Jane Sauerwein (Joel) of Oregon City, Oregon; half-sister Phyllis Forsyth of Santa Cruz, California and Nephews Jim and John Cameron of Tacoma, Washington; eight grandchildren; sixteen great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife Dorothy (2012) and one grandson, Bryan Scott Cameron (1993).

Rob Roy Cameron will be greatly missed.

Memorial donations may be made to

Gideons Clackamas North Camp

PO Box 22462

Milwaukie, OR 97269

OR

Clackamas Bible Church

15655 SE Johnson Rd.

Clackamas, OR 97015