OBITIUARIES

Michael P. O'Brien,50, manager of product publicity for the Western Wood Products Association, Portland, Or., died of an intentional overdose of prescription drugs March ll, 1992, in Portland.

A native of Portland, he worked in joumalism and public relations for 28 years, joining WWPA in 1985. He had been ill withAIDS symptoms formore than a year.

Leroy tt Roy' Soderman, 79, former sales representative for So-Cal Commercial, Los Angeles, Ca., died of cancer Feb. 18, L992, in Laguna Hills, Ca.

Born in Waukegan, Il., he joined So-Cal Building Materials Co. in 1945 as warehouse foreman. After So-Cal's partnership with Commercial Steel & Supply in 1965, he served as sales rep until his retirement.

Eldon Werthman, 66, former owner and operator of Western Dry Kiln Lumber Co., Alameda, Ca., died of heart problems Feb. 1I, L992, in Gresham, Or.

Born in Oakland. Ca.. he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, after which he began a career in lumber retailing. He established Western Dry Kiln and in 1980 joined Ed Fountain Lumber Co., Los Angeles, Ca., as superintendent.

In I 983 he moved to Gresham. where he owned and operated Dew Lumber Co. He joined DMK-Pacific, Fremont, Ca., in 1986 and Product Sales Co., Orange, Ca., in 1987, returning to Gresham in 1989.

Henry "Hap" Robinson, an electrician and millwright for Fibreform Wood Products, Rocklin, Ca., died after an accident at the company Feb.24, 1992.

Mr. Robinson was walking alongside a forklift carrying a 3-ton air conditioning unit, which fell onto him, crushing his skull. He was freed by his co-workers and rushed by helicopter to a Rocklin medical center, where he died.

A native of Oklahoma, he began his career 50 years ago with Scott Lumber Co., Burney, Ca., joining Fibreform in 1979.

Mildred Dean Dutton,93, afounding member of the National Hoo-HooEtte lumberwomen's club, died Jan. 12, L992, in Anaheim, Ca.

Born in Bloomington, Mn., she began working in the lumber industry after graduating from high school. She moved to California in 1923, working many years for Western Hardwood Co. and Lane Stanton Vance, retiring in 1976 ftom Penberthy Lumber, Los Angeles.

Mrs. Duttonwas instrumental inthe formation of the Hoo-Hoo-Ettes, a lumber sorority, and its National Scholarship Fund, and in 1975 became the first member to receive the Lumberwoman of the Year Award.