Obituaries

’58

Benton Flaxel LLB’58
Jul. 17, 1934 – Oct. 10, 2022

Benton was born July 17, 1934 in North Bend, Oregon to Ben and Agness Flaxel. Benton attended Willamette College of Law and shortly after graduating joined his father's law practice. During his 50-year law career, he specialized in workers’ compensation, appearing numerous times before the Oregon Supreme Court, influencing the landscape of workers’ compensation law in the state. Ben married Julie Newell White on August 20, 1966, in Lake Oswego. He was a lifelong Roman Catholic and member of several organizations, including the North Bend Lions Club, North Bend Planning Commission, Oregon State Bar Association, Coos County Bar Association, Small Woodlands Association of Coos and Curry Counties. He is survived by his son, Charles Stewart Flaxel and wife, Amy Flaxel; grandchildren, Jeremy, Trevor and Sydney; brother, John Flaxel; and sisters, Kay Grossman, Linda Handlos, and Geri Ferguson.

’61

Peter John Brix
Jun. 17, 1936 - Sep. 3, 2022

Peter John Brix was born to John Asmus and Betsy Lee Brix in Portland, Ore., June 17, 1936. He graduated from Willamette University Law school in 1961. He then served in the military as First Lieutenant and Operations officer of the Military Police Corps in Fort Lewis, Washington from 1961-1963. Peter began his career in the tugboat and barge industry in 1960. Peter served as CEO of Knappton Towboat Company, which later became Brix Maritime Co., until the sale of the company in 1993. One of Peter's true passions was his involvement with the Columbia River Maritime Museum for over 40 years, where he served as a trustee and chairman of their board. Peter is survived by his wife of 64 years, Noydena; his sister, Mary Lee Brix Troy, Olympia, Wash.; his daughter, Sarah Brix Tennant (Joseph), Portland, Ore.; his son, Peter John Brix III; his grandchildren, Peter Tennant, Washington D.C., Amy Tennant, Portland, Ore., Christopher Tennant, Campbell, Calif., and Sean Tennant, Portland, Ore.

’64

Edward J. Lewis
Apr. 29, 1939 - Jan. 13, 2023

Edward James Lewis, of Beaverton, Ore., passed away peacefully Jan. 13, 2023 in Portland, Ore., surrounded by his children. Edward was born in San Rafael, Calif., to Edith and Edward Lewis April 29, 1939. The family eventually made its way to Salem where he graduated from South Salem High school in 1957. Edward attended Oregon State University, joined the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, where he held the office of Vice President his Junior year and was a member of the Student Senate while also being a distinguished Military Graduate in Army ROTC. He met and married Joan Osko while at OSU in 1960 and their three children were born during their marriage which later ended in divorce. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a minor in Forestry in 1961.Edward went on to attend Willamette University College of Law where he graduated first rank in his class of 48 with a J.D. degree and Summa Cum Laude in 1964. He was a member and Exchequer of Phi Delta Phi International Legal Fraternity. After Law school he had his military obligation to fulfill and was assigned to Fort Riley and within three months was transferred to Vietnam where he served for 11 months as Capt. JAGC USAR.

’71

David A. Albrecht JD'71
Aug. 20, 1943 – Aug. 12, 2022

Rear Admiral, JAGC, USN (Ret.) David Arnold Albrecht passed away on August 12, 2022 from complications brought on by Lewy-Body and Parkinsonian dementia. David served thirty two years in the U.S. Navy, the majority of which were spent as a lawyer in the Judge Advocate General Corps. (JAGC). He served with distinction throughout his career and retired as an Admiral in 1995. David then went on to be a professor at Concordia University in Portland, Oregon, where he taught in the School of Management for 18 years. David also actively donated his time, acting as a founding member and treasurer of the Clackamas River Basin Council, as well as an avid supporter of the Future Business Leaders of America, and served St. Michael's Lutheran church for many years. He is survived by his wife Jan of fifty-five years, his son Christopher, and his daughter Suzanne. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Lewy Body Dementia Association.

’73

Terrance A. Hall JD’73
June 25, 1947 – Apr. 19, 2024

Terrance A. Hall was born on June 25th, 1947, and raised as the only child of Dr. Cecil Hall and Dorothy Hall, in Great Falls, Montana. He attended Shattuck Military Academy in his first two years of high school, and then attended Great Falls High School where he graduated. After High School, Terry attended Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, where he graduated in 1969 as a History Major. During his senior year, Terry served as Student Body President, leading the student body in that difficult school year (68-69) during the Vietnam War. After college, he attended Willamette University College of Law where he graduated in 1973. Following Law School, he served as a Prosecutor in Washington County and Lane County, Oregon. While working in Lane County, he met Marlene Wylde, who was also an attorney in that office. They worked together to prosecute cases there. After they married, she continued to assist Terry on legal cases for the rest of his career. In 1978, Terry returned to Hillsboro, Oregon, where he began practice as a trial lawyer in the challenging fields of criminal defense, personal injury, and domestic relations. As an attorney for 43 years, Terry developed a deep respect for the laws and legal process of our country. Some may recall confrontation with Terry as an attorney in legal disputes, but none would question his zealous advocacy for his clients, which was greatly appreciated by them. Terry enjoyed skiing, hunting, sailing, and riding his motorcycle. Above all, he was a devoted husband to his wife, Marlene, and father to daughters, the Rev. Dr. Regan Schutz and Andrea Hall Ferranti, and their spouses, Paul Schutz and Christopher Ferranti, and grandfather to grandchildren, Cecilia Schutz, Genevieve Schutz, and Rocco Ferranti. Terry loved them all without reservation. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

’75

Charles Luukinen JD’75
Dec. 20, 1947 – Sep. 15, 2023

Longtime Salem-area judge and community volunteer Charles Luukinen died Friday at the age of 75. "Judge Luukinen’s professional life was dedicated to serving the people of Polk County and the citizens of Oregon," Polk County Circuit Court officials, now led by President Judge Norman Hill, said in a statement. Fresh out of Willamette University in 1975 and interviewing for a prosecutor job, Charles Luukinen visited the Polk County Courthouse in Dallas.

He walked past the sandstone facade, through the front doors under the clock tower and took a tour. “That’s what a courtroom is supposed to look like,” he would later recall saying at the time to colleagues, according to Polk County Circuit Judge Norman Hill.From then on, Luukinen would spend nearly half a century in the courtroom – as a prosecutor, a private attorney and as a judge. He died on Friday, Sept. 15.Luukinen, 75, oversaw the Polk County Circuit Court for nearly 25 years as the presiding judge. “He loved being a judge,” Hill told Salem Reporter. “He used to say to me, ‘This is the greatest job in the world.’” After retiring, Luukinen spent over a decade helping settle some of Oregon’s most complex and costly trials before they reached a jury. Colleagues described him as a larger-than-life phenomenon in the mid-Willamette Valley. With an innate sense of fairness, they say he had a knack for distilling complicated matters down to common sense morals.

“He probably was a genius. I don’t know that he ever took a test,” said retired Judge Monte Campbell. “Had almost a photographic memory. He just never forgot anything, and that’s quite a big toolset for the job he did.”Luukinen was born and raised in Astoria. While attending Oregon State University and Willamette University College of Law, he worked as a commercial fisherman. “He often talked fondly about spending summers on Alaska’s Bristol Bay,” Hill wrote in a letter announcing Luukinen’s death. Luukinen was appointed as a judge in 1986 to the Polk County District Court, which no longer exists, and advanced a year later to the circuit court. “It didn’t matter which lawyer was on which side.”He will continue to be an inspiration to his community and a pillar of strength and guidance for his family. He will be lovingly remembered, and deeply missed.

’76

Jeffrey Stier JD’76
Jan. 14, 1950 - Oct. 10, 2022

Jeffrey Daniel "Jeff "Stier left this world peacefully on October 10, 2022, at the age of 72. Jeff lived a vibrant life with the love of family rooted at its center. In addition to being a devoted husband, loving father, and dedicated friend, Jeff was also a passionate outdoorsman. Jeff was born in Portland, Oregon on January 14, 1950. He was the second of three children born to Robert "Bud" Stier and Jean Stier (née Inlow). After marrying the love of his life, Trish, in August 1972, he went on to earn a law degree (J.D.) from Willamette University in 1976. He began his career in private practice in Spokane and later relocated with his family to Olympia, where he joined the Washington State Office of the Attorney General and spent much of his career as legal counsel to the Department of Transportation. He was preceded in death by his wife Patricia Lee "Trish" Stier (née Hood) and his parents, Bud and Jean. He is survived by his daughter Katie Johnson (Rob) and grand-daughters Eileen (11), Margaret (11), and Hannah (9); his son Jim Stier (Jenny) and grandchildren Josephine (7) and Jeffrey (4); and his siblings Bob Stier (Ann) and Becky Seltmann (Wes).

’78

Marc Jeffrey Winter JD’78
Jul. 4, 1953 - 2022

Marc was born on July 4, 1953, in Baltimore, Maryland, to Joe and Lucille Winter. He was the second of three children. He graduated from Willamette University College of Law in 1978. He began his career as an attorney for District Counsel at the Internal Revenue Service in downtown Los Angeles. While commuting from Santa Monica to Los Angeles on a commuter bus, he met his future wife Janet in 1981. They were married in 1983 at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Arcadia, and they bought their first home in San Gabriel. In 1986, he joined two former IRS District Counsel colleagues, Marshall Taylor and Karen Simonson, to form the downtown Claremont tax law firm Taylor, Simonson & Winter LLP. He was an active member of the Claremont Rotary Club for more than 20 years. He served as Rotary Club President from 2011 to 2012. He is survived by his wife of more than 39 years, Janet; daughter Amy Hercher (Jeremy) of Cypress; son Alex Winter of San Diego; mother Lucille Winter of Salem, Oregon; brother Bruce Winter (Lynn) of Winter Garden, Florida; and grandchildren Lucas and Lana Hercher. He was predeceased by his father Joe Winter and his sister Kim Higham.

’85

Paul G. Brown JD’85
Oct. 14, 1958 – Feb. 4, 2023

Paul Gregory Brown was born at Douglas Community Hospital in Roseburg, on Oct. 14, 1958, AD, and was called home by God on Feb. 4, 2023. Paul graduated from Roseburg High School in 1976, after which he attended Umpqua Community College, earning an Associate of Arts Degree in 1980. Paul then moved to Eugene and attended the University of Oregon, where he graduated in 1982 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and history. Paul then attended Willamette University College of Law where he earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1985 and served as class president. Paul was a working man, beginning at an early age, working with his father Jacob (Jake), his mom, and two brothers at Rainbow Trailer Sales in Winchester, Oregon. Paul worked full-time during his time at UCC, first at Keller Lumber, and then at Roseburg Lumber. After law school, Paul returned to Douglas County where he worked for Basco Logging for 26 years. In 2012, he started his own business, Paul Brown’s Mow and Go. Paul loved his customers and was willing to go the extra mile for them, and he was particularly caring with his older customers. Paul had a love of God throughout his life which started at an early age when he attended Sunday School. He was a member of the Sutherlin Family Church where he was a greeter, along with his wife, Marsha. Paul would take his mom to square dancing at the Buckaroo Barn, and this is where he met Marsha, the love of his life. Paul and Marsha found happiness, in God’s time, enjoying the simple pleasures of life.

John Edward Storkel JD’85
Sept. 13, 1953 – Aug. 6, 2023

John Edward Storkel went home to his Lord and Savior Aug. 6, 2023 following a 2 ½ year battle with esophageal cancer. John was born Sept. 13, 1953 to Gertrude Eleanor Schreiber and John E. Storkel in Rapid City, S.D John moved to Salem, Ore., when John enrolled at Western Baptist Bible College (later Corban University). He then earned a JD from Willamette University College of Law and joined the Oregon State Bar in 1985.

’12

Jefferson Quist JD’12
Apr. 15, 1983 – Aug. 5, 2023

Jefferson Quist was a lawyer, musician, and entrepreneur who died unexpectedly on August 5, 2023, at 40. His death shocked his family, friends, and fans, who remembered him as a curious, kind, and clever person. Jefferson Jernigan Quist was born in 1983 in Oklahoma City to Jane Jerrigan Quist McMurtrey and an unknown father. He had six siblings: Elizabeth Quist, Edward B. Quist, and four others whose names are not public. He grew up mostly in Texas, where he explored, played baseball, and developed an interest in art and music. He was a talented singer and songwriter who collaborated with his friends and family to create songs. He attended Brigham Young University in Utah, where he met his future wife Abigail Quist. They fell in love and got married in 2007.

He graduated with a degree in English literature in 2008 and then pursued a law degree at Willamette University College of Law in Oregon. He graduated in 2012 and became a licensed attorney. Jefferson Quist worked as an immigration and criminal defense lawyer in McMinnville, Oregon. He was so passionate about helping people who faced legal challenges and injustice. He was also involved in various community projects and causes, such as supporting local businesses, promoting environmental awareness, and advocating for human rights.

He was also a musician who released several albums and singles under the name of Son of Jeff Twig. His music was influenced by folk, rock, indie, and pop genres. He wrote songs about love, life, faith, and social issues. Some of his songs include "The River", "The Light", and "The End". He often performed live at local venues and events, as well as online platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. Quist was married to Abigail Quist for 16 years. They had three children: Zelda Magdalena Quist, Polonious Jernigan Quist, and an unnamed baby boy. They lived in a farmhouse in McMinnville with their dog Ollie. They were a happy and loving family who enjoyed spending time together. Quist was a friendly, generous, and humorous person who had many friends and admirers. He was known for his curiosity, kindness, and cleverness. He loved reading books, watching movies, playing games, traveling, hiking, camping, gardening, cooking, baking, and learning new things. He was always optimistic and grateful for his life.