Stanley Jay Hodgin

Stanley Jay Hodgin passed away unexpectedly at his home in Aurora, Oregon on Saturday, September 8th, 2012.Stanley was the third born child of Frances Mae (Booher) and Egbert Hodgin. He was born on September 24, 1934 in the home of his aunt Mary (Booher) and uncle John Hodgin in Reliance, South Dakota.Stanley attended Chamberlain public schools and graduated from Chamberlain High School in 1953. He then followed in his sister Delores's footsteps and attended Nettleton Commercial College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.Marriage to Carol Laverne Eatherton followed on September 4, 1954 and their first son, Daniel Lee Hodgin was born on July 23, 1955 in Chamberlain. Two months later, they left Sioux Falls, South Dakota for their journey to the Pacific Northwest and settled in Salem, Oregon. On July 15, 1958, their second son, David Lynn Hodgin and on September 30, 1960, Michael Alan Hodgin were born in Salem, Oregon. Stanley and Carol divorced on March 22, 1974. Donna Vanderkin became Stanley's second wife on August 21, 1981 and they divorced on November 9, 1994.Growing up in South Dakota, Stan worked delivering newspapers, setting pins in the local bowling alley, and loading/unloading delivery trucks for the Pepsi Cola Bottling Co. in Chamberlain that led to a job he cherished at the young age of 15, driving Pepsi Cola delivery trucks. He also worked for the Chamberlain Water Company in 1953. Stan worked part time rewinding motors at Electric Motor Repair in Sioux Falls, South Dakota while attending college. After graduating, he worked at Nash Finch Company where he got his first exposure to data processing and computers. During this time, he also sold Cutco products.After moving to Salem, Oregon, Stan was the Assistant Data Processing Manager for the Western Paper Converting Co., Inc. Division of Western Tablet and Stationary Corporation. He then moved his family to Camas, Washington so he could be the Assistant Data Processing Manager at Tidland Machine Company.Shortly after arriving in Camas, Stan took the position of Office Manager with Jarman Company, Inc. in Portland, Oregon, and in a few months when Jarman moved into their new golf cart manufacturing plant in Milwaukie, Oregon, Stan moved his family to Milwaukie. Ford Industries, Inc. in Portland, Oregon hired him to be their Data Processing Manager a few years later. Next was a stint with Evans Products in Portland, Oregon that required frequent trips to the east coast. Data Processing Manager for Portland Wire & Iron came next, during which time, Stan also attended real estate school and worked part time for Red Carpet Realty. New data processing challenges at American Steel in Portland, Oregon lured Stan to become their Data Processing Manager. After a few years, American Clearing Service, Inc. in Beaverton, Oregon convinced Stan to come on board and help them complete the design of their data processing system and set up a plant employing approximately 125 data entry staff in Tecate, Mexico for their coupon clearing business. He traveled to Mexico monthly and enjoyed sharing stories of his travels.Once this multi-year project in Mexico was completed, Stan decided it was time to try his hand at running his own business and purchased Casmey Instrument Service, Inc. in Monmouth, Oregon. After loosing a major customer's work, Stan decided to shut down this business and after a short respite, purchased Farfar's, an ice cream and candy shop in Beaverton, Oregon. Stan and Donna changed the name to Gourmet Treats and moved the ice cream shop into the newly-built Milwaukie Market-Place and ran the business there until he retired in 1996.Stan was always looking to improve himself and successfully completed numerous correspondence and self-improvement courses including: electronics, radio operator training which led to obtaining from the Federal Communications Commission, a Radio Telephone Third Class Operator Permit, Toastmasters International (giving speeches and leadership training), IBM computer programming languages and La Salle Extension University's certified public accountant training.Stan's many hobbies and interests included television & radio electronics, golf, hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, traveling, snow skiing, flying (he had obtained his private pilot's license and instrument rating and was working on his commercial pilot's license when he had to give it up due to the onset of diabetes), genealogy, gardening, auto mechanics, building a video library, reading, and arts and crafts including: beadwork, drawing, macramÃ© and plastics.He developed diabetes later in life and was diagnosed with Dementia/Alzheimer's disease earlier in the year. Although he did slow down some, he still loved to get out for rides in the country and enjoyed visiting with people.Stanley is survived by his two sisters Delores Tompkins (Fruita, Colorado) and Adele Haines (Salem, Oregon); three sons and two daughter-in-laws Daniel and Carol Hodgin (Oregon City, Oregon), David and Jane Hodgin (Milwaukie, Oregon), and Michael Hodgin (Happy Valley, Oregon); and five grandchildren Jeremy Hodgin (Milwaukie, Oregon), Kristina Hodgin (Milwaukie, Oregon), Derek Hodgin (Milwaukie, Oregon), Rebecca Hodgin (Portland, Oregon), and Kaitlin Hodgin (Oregon City, Oregon).

Tributes

Stanley Jay Hodgin

September 24, 1934 - September 8, 2012