Donald Pope

December 22, 1931 – November 18, 2022 – On the morning of Friday, November 18th, 2022, Donald Pope of Lake Oswego, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, went to be with his Lord and Savior. He was 90 years of age.

Don was born December 22, 1931, in Klamath Falls, OR to J. Leland and Mary Pope. Growing up, he worked on his family’s century ranch in the small Southern Oregon town of Merrill. Education was an important part of his life. He attended Oregon State University and graduated with a major in Mathematics and a minor in Physics. It was at OSU where he met his wife, Jane Ellen Ray. They married in December 1953. Don was involved in Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and upon his OSU graduation, the US Air Force sent him to MIT where he worked on vacuum-tube computers. After graduating from MIT with a Master’s in Electrical Engineering, he served for 3 years at McClellan Air Force Base, was promoted to Captain, and was awarded the Commendation Medal.

In the early 1960s, Don was employed by the Stanford Research Institute in Palo Alto, CA where he worked on some of the earliest transistor computers. Wanting to return to his native Oregon, Don accepted an executive position at the Oregon Saw Chain Manufacturing Corporation (OMARK) in the mid-1960s. Both positions led him to work in various places all over the world, including Europe and South America.

Don earned his Ph.D. in System Science at Portland State University in the 1970s where he later taught as a part-time assistant professor in Business after retiring from OMARK in the 1980s. Don held positions on numerous boards and associations, including serving Boys Scouts of America and as President for Financial Executives International.

An accomplished backpacker of over 50 years, Don led many trips of family, friends, church, and youth groups. His favorite area to explore was the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness on the Idaho/Montana border. He was an avid golfer, fisherman, and world traveler. Don was passionate about family, friends, and serving his community. Throughout the years, he was actively involved with his church. Don and Jane joined the Lake Grove Presbyterian Church almost 60 years ago. He was an elder, fundraiser, and a representative of the church at the Presbytery of the Cascades.

Don is survived by his wife of almost 70 years, Jane Pope; his three sons, Daniel (Lisa) Pope, Scott (Sylvie) Pope, and Timothy (Tracey) Pope; seven grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, January 14, 2023, at 2 pm at the Lake Grove Presbyterian Church in Lake Oswego, Oregon.

Memorial donations may be made to:

Medical Teams International – www.medicalteams.org

Habitat for Humanity – www.habitatportlandregion.org

Agros – www.agros.org

The Salvation Army Cascade Division – www.cascade.salvationarmy.org