God gave Alice the gift of inspiring others, through the power of reading. With unconditional love she helped to find their own ability, to develop ideas and create an understanding of their environment. Alice’s passion went beyond reading and children’s literature; she unlocked the love for books in others too.

Alice was an educator with a drive to improve herself. She encouraged her fellow teachers to become continuous learners and together, they completed a master’s program and gave their time to the advancement of learning.

Many, including her husband and three children will miss Alice.

Alice was born December 7, 1948 in Montebello, California. Her parents are Varden and Eidth Boergadine. She grew up in a close family environment with a brother, Frazer, and sister, Susan. Alice’s mother was very active in the United Methodist church and played a key role in her love for books and passion for reading.

Alice went to Crescenta Valley High School, California. She was involved in many activities including: French Club, Glee Club, Student Council, Drama Class and Girls League President. Alice graduated from high school in 1967.

Higher education was important to Alice. After high school Alice attended Whitworth College in Spokane Washington (1967 to 1971), with the goal of becoming a Teacher. Inspired by her favorite teacher in grade school, Alice had always wanted to teach. She graduated in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and double minor in History and Education. She also received a Washington State Teachers Certificate in May of 1971.

Throughout Alice’s teaching career she committed herself to continued self-improvement. Each summer she would take college level classes aimed at developing her teaching skills. The colleges she attended include:

• Christopher Newport College –1975
• University of Virginia –1975
• Lewis & Clark College –1988
• Western Oregon State College –1992-1995
• Portland State University – 1996-1998, Received Master Degree and
  Bachelor of Science in Education Curriculum

After graduating from Whitworth, Alice began her search for a teaching position in California. While looking, she worked for a temporary placement agency, taking part time positions at a CPA firm & a pharmaceutical company. Alice decided to her odds of finding a teaching position was better if she moved to Oregon. Again, while she was looking for a teaching position, she worked for a temporary placement agency. The placement agency placed her in a job at Tektronix as an executive administrative assistant. This is where she would later meet her husband Bob Oblack, in the summer of 1974.

Bob began his carrier with Tektronix in August 1968. After working at the factory headquarters for several years he was offered a sales position in Rockville, Maryland in September of 1973 and at that same time he completed his military tour of duty with the Oregon Air National Guard. Bob was vacationing in his home state of Oregon in the summer of 1974 when he was introduced to Alice. They began dating and were married on November 30, 1974 in Beaverton Oregon.

Alice and Bob first lived in Gaithersburg, Maryland and later moved to Hampton, Virginia in February 1975, where Alice taught third and fifth grade at Cesar B. Tarrant Elementary School. Alice and Bob’s first child, Adam, was born on Dec. 31, 1976 in Newport News, Virginia. Alice stopped teaching after Adam was born and become a full time mother and housewife.

Bob was recruited by the John Fluke Manufacturing Company in Everett Washington in April 1978, where he accepted position in Government Sales. While living in Everett, their second son, Tom was born in Lynnwood, Washington on March 14, 1979. Bob worked for Fluke until October 1981, when he returned to Tektronix, as a Sales Engineer covering Oregon and Southwestern Washington.

Alice and Bob wanted to have a girl to complete their family, so they decided to adopt. The adoption process concluded February10, 1982 when Mary arrived at SeaTac airport. Mary was born in Seoul, Korea on July 14, 1981. The daughter that Alice and Bob had always wanted entered their life with great joy.

In the summer of 1983 Bob accepted a Marketing position at Tektronix headquarter in Beaverton, Oregon. The family moved to Molalla, Oregon in October 1983. They had an opportunity to build their dream home on property that was part of a family inheritance. They moved into their new dream “House on Dickey Prairie” in the fall of 1984.

Alice was a full time housewife and caring mother from 1977 to 1985, looking after her three children whom she loved so dearly.

In 1985 Alice decided to get back into teaching. She worked as a substitute teacher for Kindergarten through the Eighth grade at the following schools:

• Molalla Grade
• Rural Dell
• Dickey Prairie
• Mulino
• Maple Grove
• Colton

She accepted a permanent teaching position in the fall of 1987 at Butte Creek Elementary School (part of the Silver Falls School District, Silverton Oregon) where she taught until she was killed in tragic automobile accident on January 19, 2001. Alice was teaching 17 third graders at the time of her death.

Alice was a very special teacher at Butte Creek Grade School. She had such a positive influence on so many children; the community has dedicated the Children’s wing of the new Molalla Public Library in her honor. This web site in part supports the vision of the Alice Oblack Memorial.

Alice reserved a reading corner in her classroom which she called “Pooh Corner.” She loved the Walt Disney Company’s character, “Pooh”. She would sit in her rocking chair and read to her class using different voices for each character in the story. She captivated the students with her spirit and love for reading. Her teaching style took advantage of Pooh’s magic and made school fun for her students. They looked forward to her classes.