In Memoriam: William Stephens Greer

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In Memoriam: William Stephens Greer

William Greer, a former GSOC member, died at age 88 on January 1, 2019.

Greer was born and raised in Red Bluff, California. He grew up loving the outdoors, and pursued a career in engineering with Westinghouse. Greer and his wife Lillian moved to Portland in 1963 and continued working for Westingouse in power distribution systems. When he retired, Greer pursued his interest in the outdoors by studying geology at PCC and PSU and also by becoming a master gardener specializing in rhododendrons.

Memorial contributions may be made to the OSU Master Gardener Program or the American Rhododendron Society.

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In Memoriam: GSOC Member Connie Battaile

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In Memoriam: GSOC Member Connie Battaile

Connie Battaile of Portland was a retired librarian, author, botany and geology enthusiast. She was a mother and a grandmother.

Connie was born in West Virginia and raised in Waldport, Oregon. She held a psychology degree from Oregon State College.

She lived for a time in Ashland, Oregon, and was involved with public service and policy organizations, including the League of Women Voters, the Ashland Citizens Budget Committee, and the Jackson County Planning Commission.

According to her official obituary, she “received her Masters in Library Science from the University of Hawaii and worked as a librarian at the Medford Public Library, Southern Oregon State College (now SOU) library, and Colgate University library (Hamilton, NY).”

Connie held a variety of interests and did a wide variety of projects in her life, including authoring two books on library science, being a hospice volunteer and instructor for classes on making final arrangements, an interest in gardening, plant identification and preservation, an interest in Buddhist meditation and an interest in geology. The latter led her to become a GSOC member.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Oregon Community Foundation.

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