uorres

Robert L. Donnelly, 64, president and ceo of Contact Lumber Co., Portland, Or., and Clear Pine Mouldings, Prineville, Or., died June 9 of a stroke.

A native of The Dalles, Or., he graduated from Oregon State University in 1957 and immediately began working for his father, Leo J. Donnelly, founder and owner of Contact Lumber.

He became president in 1971 and ceo several years later.

He was on the board of the National Forest Products Association and was past chairman of NFPA's International Trade Council.

Melvin F. Mclean, 89, co-founder and president of Eel River Sawmill, Fortuna, Ca., died May 25.

A native of Madras, Or., he began his 62-year career in the lumber industry in 1937 when he and partner Stanley Shaffer assumed operation of a tie mill in Castle Rock, Wa. In 1948, the two joined George Lindsey at Lindsey Lumber Co., Bridgeville, Wa. After the mill burned down in 1950, Lindsey Lumber moved to McCann, Wa., to operate in conjunction with the California Eastern Timber Co.

In 1958, he and Shaffer purchased the old "Johnny Voll" sawmill in Metropolitan and opened Eel River.

In 1964, after a devastating flood, he rebuilt and expanded the operation. In time, he would purchase Englewood Lumber Co. and the Halvorsen Mill in Alton and build the Fairhaven Power Co. plant in Samoa.

In 1987. he transferred a substantial amount of the ownership to his employees, but continued to serve as president.

Kent Rubow, 94, former co-owner of Capital Lumber Co., Boise, Id., died June 8.

A native of Kansas. he worked for A.C. Houston Lumber Co., Las Vegas, Nv., for 30 years and was co-owner of Capital Lumber from 1958 until his retirement in 1974.

He was a longtime Western Building Material Association member.

Tom Lillard, 69, longtime lumberman, died June 12 of a heart attack in Castro Valley, Ca.

After a stint with Doors, Inc., Mountain View, Ca., he worked for years at Georgia-Pacific, San Leandro, Ca., before retiring in the early 1990s. He was an accomplished singer and pianist who had appeared with Johnny Mathis.

Arnold Kirkebo, 83, retired executive director of the Western Building Material Association, Olympia, Wa., died May 7.

A former Seattle-based redwood Iumber company owner and operator, he joined WBMA in 1960 as its insurance and pension trust coordinator.

He served as executive director in 1974 and retired in 1984.

J.A. "Btrzz" Coffman, 83, retired executive secretary, WOOD, Inc., Denver, Co., died April 20 from complications from gall bladder surgery in Grand Junction, Co.

A resident of Montrose. Co.. he worked for WOOD, Inc. for 14 years during the 1960s and 1970s.

Alfred H. Stockton, 90, retired owner of San Bruno Lumber Co., San Bruno, Ca., died Apil29.

A native of San Francisco, Ca., he began working in the lumber industry in the early 1930s at his father's firm, Stockton Lumber Co.

He purchased San Bruno Lumber in 1945 and retired in 1981.

He belonged to the Lumber Merchants Association and received its hesident's Award in 1979.

His son, Al Stockton, is in charge of the business.