PLSO May June 2019

Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon | www.plso.org 5 From the PLSO Chairman to set up an apprenticeship program for sur- veyors. This meant that surveying would be reduced to the trades level along with car- pentry, plumbing, etc. Well of course, this hit such men as Hal Barrows, Scotty Gra- ham and Francis Waggoner like the bad breath of 1000 elephants and they vigor- ously opposed it. You might well imagine that all this was frustrating to the State Board of Engineer- ing Examiners. In the Eighteenth Biennial Report of 1955, President Arnold L. Henry wrote to the Governor and Legislature: ‘Land surveying is a specialty worthy of recogni- tion in its own right. Unfortunately, there is currently no organization representing land surveying in Oregon, as the relatively small number of registrants (I was 460 in 1958) and their scattered location about the state have deterred any organized pro- fessional action. There is a possibility that surveyors could, in some way, affiliate with the well-organized Professional Engineers of Oregon and gain stature as a profession but the ramification of such a step is yet to be fully explored. In any case, it is to be hoped that the land surveyors will build up the standards of their profession to achieve greater recognition.’” And so it came to pass; that the blind shall lead the blind. One day in the spring of 1959, Gene DiLoreto came in the office and was bemoaning the conditions of our time and I casually remarked, “Why don’t you do something about it?” He said, “Like what?,” and I said, “Start an organi- zation.” He said, “Why don’t you start an organization?” I asked, “Will you help?” “Sure,” he responded. Soon after I reserved a meeting room at the New Cathay Restaurant on 82nd and Division St. I took the registration book and the telephone book and made a list. My wife and my friend’s wife, Mrs. Mary Lou Lies, of San Francisco, who was visit- ing us at the time, got out the first mailing. Well themeeting came, and we had a doz- en people maybe? I can recall me, Gene DiLoreto, Harlan Scott—ended up secre- tary, Bob Balch, who took the exam the same time I did, Ray Kindorf and Byron Abbernathy andmaybe Bruce Schminky.” (At this point, Pense turned the meeting over to DiLoreto.) Though Mr. Pense ultimately moved on, diverging in thought regarding a belief that all Party Chiefs should be licensed land surveyors, his contribution to cre- ating a professional community for land surveyors remains. In Loving Memory of PLSO Founding Lifetime Member Clair Ernest Pense December 21, 1927–May 7, 2019 Clair Ernest Pense was born at home on December 21, 1927 in Bonesteele, S.D. to parents, Charles Abraham Pense and Grace Elizabeth Pinkham Pense, and passed away at his home in Gresham, Or- egon on May 7, 2019. His wife of over 50 years, Violet Naomi Pense; and daughter, Virginia Rae Pearce preceded him in death. He is survived by children, Cynthia June Reynolds (Bob) and Dr. Stanley Clair Pense (Sharon); 17 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren. Pense graduated from Gresham High School in 1945 and proudly served as a Submariner in World War II and the Ko- rean War. He later attended Multnomah College (later merged with University of Portland) and attended Portland State. He served as Multnomah County Sur- veyor in the 1960s and later became a Land Surveyor in private practice until retirement. He was actively involved in his communi- ty on many levels. Pense was a founder, past president and Lifetime Charter Mem- ber of the Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon, a director of the Convention of the American Congress of Surveying and Mapping, a past president of the En- gineering Architect Council of Oregon, a school board member for the Centenni- al School District and a board member for Mount Hood Community College and adviser for their Civil Engineering Tech- nology Committee. He was part of the American Legion and a designer of He- roes Memorial Park at Main St. Park in Gresham, Oregon. Pensewas also keenly interested in politics as a proponent of things that promoted ethical and moral practices according to the U.S. Constitution. He would con- tinually submit letters to public officials including our Presidents advocating that the laws were for the people and of the people, sealing the back of his letters with “In God We Trust.” He served man- kind well—being interested in others and loving his family and friends. He was for- ever teaching his great-grandchildren and very patiently learning from them as well. In fact, he was a friend wherever he went—he just loved people. In his retirement, he enjoyed working with the Submariner Veterans Group and Wil- lamette National Cemetery. His love of country was very passionate. His sense of humor was a treasure to all and is car- ried on through his family through the many stories and jokes he told. His family has said how proud they are of their father and grandfather, who lived knowing that his life was in his Heavenly Father’s hands and are at peace knowing he is with their mother and grandmother, and most of all with His Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There was a Celebration of Life service at 1 pm, June 1, 2019, at Pleasant Home Community Church, 32120 Dodge Park Blvd., Gresham. A burial service was held at 11 am, May 31, 2019, Willamette Na- tional Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions were- made to: Eagle Fern Camp, Estacada, OR 97023. Please sign the online guest book at www.oregonlive.com/obits   x