in memoriam Basketball Legends Pass Away
Jack Roffler
Eastern lost two basketball Hall of Famers within two days of each other in August. Jack “Rabbit” Roffler ’46 passed away Aug. 14 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 89. George Gablehouse ’48 passed away Aug. 16 from cancer. He was 91. Roffler was inducted into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011. Eastern’s 1945-46 team was inducted into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003. He played during three of the most successful basketball seasons in school history, and later distinguished himself as a teacher and basketball official. Originally from nearby Pine City, Washington, Roffler played professional basketball for the Springfield (Missouri) Squires and Tacoma Mountaineers before settling in Port Townsend, Washington, where he taught from 1948 until his retirement in 1979. He spent 25 years as a basketball official. Gablehouse was inducted into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame as an individual in 2009. He played for Eastern in 1943 and from 1946 to 1948, earning first team All-Washington Intercollegiate Conference honors in 1946 and 1947. Formerly from Selah (Wash.) High School, Gablehouse was student body president at Eastern and graduated cum laude. He coached at Omak and Marysville high schools before embarking upon a more than 20-year career at Centralia Community College, serving as athletic director and director of physical education. In his retirement, Gablehouse split time between his homes in Olympia and Packwood, Washington.
George Gablehouse
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’08 David M. Hansel, age 47, died June 8, 2014, Idaho Falls, Idaho
’01 Dan O’ Bannan Jr., age 63, died June 30, 2014, Port Orchard, Washington ’94 Susan K. Anderberg, age 60, died June 18, 2014
’91 Gina M. Luppino, age 54, died July 3, 2014, Pasco, Washington ’87 Carole F. Hubbard, age 71, died June 24, 2014
’86 Donna M. Boulac, age 62, died May 7, 2014, Scappoose, Oregon ’85 Michael W. Marceau, age 58, died July 10, 2014
’73 Richard M. Fraser, age 67, died July 15, 2014, Soldotna, Alaska
’58 Roy W. Graffis, age 82, died July 4, 2014, Spokane, Washington
’73 Robert W. Sallee, age 82, died May 26, 2014
’55 Wallace E. Russell, age 86, died June 1, 2014
’73 Louanne M. Whitton, age 66, died May 25, 2014
’53 Keith L. Yates, age 86, died June 10, 2014
’71 Eileen Shirley Price, age 93, died May 21, 2014 ’70 Vee Fletcher, age 94, died April 25, 2014 ’70 Dick Lofstedt, age 67, died June 22, 2014 ’70 Bonnie J. Melton, age 65, died April 7, 2014
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’69 Billie B. Mountain, age 94, died June 25, 2014, Rathdrum, Idaho
’67 David W. Eckles, age 71, died May 9, 2014
’82 David R. Rockwell, age 55, died May 26, 0214
’67 Robert L. Harrington, age 91, died May 25, 2014
’82 Scott R. Troop, age 54, died April 28, 2014, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
’64 John A. Betz, age 74, died July 13, 2014, Hermiston, Oregon
’81 Candy Engleman, age 70, died May 30, 2014, Spokane, Washington
’64 William E. Clift, age 73, died May 13, 2014
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’77 Steven W. Brooks, age 67, died June 2, 2014
’76 Chris D. Wollam, age 63, died May 27, 2014 ’73 Clinton U. Fait, age 72, died May 1, 2014
’62 Gordon A. Rose, age 86, died May 30, 2014, Longview, Washington
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’59 Roland C. Glidden, age 81, died June 21, 2014
’52 Wallace C. Barker, age 90, died July 17, 2014 ’52 Thomas G. Mercer, age 88, died June 17, 2014
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’38 Dorothy L. Scroggs, age 96, died April 20, 2014
Faculty & Staff Carol Prentice died March 28, 2014. She worked at Eastern for 19 years. Before retiring, she worked as an administrative assistant in Human Resources. Faculty Emeritus Ray Whitfield, PhD, died June 21, 2014. Whitfield retired July 1, 1977, after 28 years as a professor in the Department of Education. He also served as dean of graduate studies. Curtis Coffee died July 26, 2014, in Spokane. He retired from the Department of Music in January 1996 after 26 years of service.
’59 Jacqueline C. McKay, age 75, died May 9, 2014
E ASTERN: fall 2014
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