Obituary of John B. Fenner

John B. Fenner died on March 24, 2013 in Saratoga, California surrounded by his family. He was 94 years old. John was born in Buffalo, NY to Bessie Peck Fenner and Charles B. Fenner. He came West from Connecticut in 1931 with his 16 yr-old brother Keith, and his 14 yr-old sister Janet. The Fenner family settled in Corvallis, Oregon where all three children eventually graduated from Oregon State College. John earned a degree in Business in 1940 and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant after completing ROTC. He was a member of the Oregon State chapter of the SAE fraternity. He married Dorothy Louise Harstad in 1940 in Milton-Freewater, OR while awaiting active duty orders from the Army. He was assigned to the 15th Infantry, Third Division at Fort Lewis, Washington. His orders were signed by Lieutenant Colonel Dwight D. Eisenhower. During the war, John participated in four amphibious landings, including Casablanca, Sicily, Anzio and Southern France. In France, based on his great facility with languages, he served with the Sixth Army Group as an interpreter with the French Army. He received the US Army's Bronze Star and the Croix de Guerre from France. In 1960 John retired from the Army Reserves with the rank of colonel. After the war, John returned to Oregon and became director of the OSC Alumni Association and editor of the alumni magazine, The Oregon Stater. In 1948 he entered Stanford Law School on the GI Bill, and graduated in 1951. He passed the California and Oregon bar exams and from 1951-54 he worked as an associate with the law firm of Freed & Failing in Portland. In 1955 John, Dorothy and their three children returned to Corvallis where John practiced law for nearly 50 years (at the firm Fenner, Barnhisel, Willis & Barlow). Over the years, John served on the Oregon State Bar's Board of Governors, Oregon's Judicial Fitness Commission, the OSU Foundation board, Stanford Law School's and Lewis & Clark Law School's Boards of Visitors, the Corvallis Public Library Board, and several other local and regional boards and committees. He also served as president of the OSU Alumni Association. He was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Corvallis, the Corvallis Country Club, and the Arlington Club in Portland. Given his long commitment to OSU and to higher education in general, John was especially pleased with the academic inclinations of his four grandchildren. Since 1978 the extended family has enjoyed many gatherings, meals and songs at their condominium at Salishan on the Oregon Coast. John was always ready to hit a tennis or golf ball, throw the football, stroll barefoot on the beach, play a hand of bridge, or lead the singing with Dorothy at the piano and play his wash-tub bass. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Keith and his daughter Barbara Fenner Sjostrom. He is survived by his wife Dorothy, sister Janet, sons Tom (Randee) and David (Elisabeth), and four grandchildren. A family celebration of John's life will be held later this year at the Oregon Coast. Arrangements are being made by Spangler Mortuaries in Los Altos, California. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in John's honor to the OSU Foundation, 850 SW 35th St., Corvallis, OR, 97333.




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