Robert John McLaren

Robert John McLaren was born February 23, 1932 to Donald Everett McLaren and Elsie Irene Willard. His day of birth was also celebrated along with his grandfather’s birthday and his grandparents wedding anniversary, making it a special day.

Bob was strong willed and a hard worker. With determination, he delivered magazines and newspapers earning tuition so he could receive a higher education at the more prominent West Seattle High School his senior year. Bob enjoyed school, participating in several school plays where he earned leading roles with his singing voice.

As a teenager, Bob set his mind on buying himself a whizzer, a motorized bicycle on which he would take long day trips. The whizzer would often be the subject of stories that took him to places of adventure.

During his senior year of high school, Bob met an LDS girl who invited him to church, where he was approached by the missionaries. He would soon accepted their message with an open heart and be baptized in to the Mormon Church. His grandparents followed his lead and later join the church as well. Bob loved the church and would spend the rest of his life as an active member, accepting many leadership roles and responsibilities when called upon.

After high school, he worked for a heavy equipment manufacturing company. A year later, August 14, 1952, he was drafted into the army. While in the army, he learned to cook, which he thoroughly enjoyed. This skill would later earn rave reviews from his wife and children, who still talk fondly of his home cooked meals, some of which duplication has been attempted but failed. His ability to take left-overs and assemble amazing casseroles has become legend in the McLaren clan.

After serving his country, he was given room and board with the Wainwright family who owned a deli where he would work. It was at this time, that he realized that all of the young men were going on missions. He asked his bishop for the opportunity to serve a mission as well. He was gladly given the chance to go, and was assigned to serve in the British Mission. He served from June 10, 1956 to July 11, 1958. His timing was fortunate, because while on his mission, he was able to be part of the ground breaking for the London Temple. His name was also placed in the corner stone. He always talked fondly of his experiences and continued to travel parts of Europe when his calling was completed.

When Bob returned from his mission, he attended college and graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor’s degree in History. His first teaching job was at a junior high school in Cedar City, Utah. That first year he taught English, literature, geography, history and was responsible for the school’s year book. After a few years of teaching, he and his good friend and roommate, Steve Anderson, decided that their odds of meeting wives would be better if they moved back to Salt Lake City, so they did.

Bob had been teaching at Granite Junior High for a couple years, when he was set up on a blind date. That blind date lead to another date, after which, Bob went out and bought a ring. He knew that Beverly Wodskow was the love he had been waiting for. He soon purposed and they were married July 17, 1964 in the Idaho Falls Temple. Bob and Beverly soon started their family. Their first child was daughter Rebecca Jean, followed by four boys, Benjamin William, Samuel Robert, Jonathan James and Jared Joseph. When their second daughter Rachel Jean arrived, the clan was complete. He loved his family dearly and loved being a father.

After one more year of teaching at Granite Junior High he decided that he was ready for a new challenge. He decided to pursue a master’s degree and enrolled at Brigham Young University, specializing in sociology. He had already completed prerequisite classes and graduated in 14 short months.

In March 1966, the day his first child was due, he took a quick day trip, and drove to Portland, Oregon for an interview at the Community College. He was hired and become their first full-time sociology instructor. He packed up his wife and daughter shortly after graduation and headed to Portland. Bob taught at PCC for 29 years, during which, he developed a Death and Dying class which, today, continues to be a very popular class at the College. Students loved his many stories, most of which were based upon his personal experiences as a parent, and many that would have embarrassed his children to no end. He loved teaching and his students loved him. Many would regularly return to visit with him even after they had graduated.

Bob and Bev would spend many of their later years working at the Portland Temple and dedicated countless hours to research family genealogy.

Bob was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 1994.

He had taught his children that death was a celebration. He looked forward to meeting his mom, grandparents and loving family in heaven. We know they were watching over him. We would tell him that they were getting impatient, but we were comforted knowing he was surrounded by his loved ones when he was ready to pass on.

We greatly miss his warmth and gentle kindness, the way he considered everyone who came to our home, family. We miss his sense of humor, although sometimes odd, the little jig he used to dance, to make us laugh. He will truly be missed by those who knew him, but we also celebrate his life, and are grateful for the example he set, for not only his family, but for everyone he met. We mourn our loss for the moment but rejoice his eternal life in heaven. We know he is happy and looks forward to greeting each of us when it is our time. He always told us that life is family and death is a family reunion.

Arrangements under the direction of Young's Funeral Home, Tigard, OR.