A Springfield, Missouri man known for his love of the outdoors and hiking, died recently due to complications from a fall in his home. William A. L. (Bill) Harte, 61, was a lifelong member of the Springfield Fire Department, which he served as a lieutenant and as chief of staff.
Bill Harte was born in Springfield, but he spent most of his life away from the city, including living for a number of years in Seattle, Washington. Bill was a dedicated outdoorsman who frequently traveled to the mountains of Montana, Idaho, and Washington. He enjoyed long hikes on the Oregon Trail and in the Cascade Mountains.
It’s hard to imagine a younger person having the passion and drive to do what Bill Harte did. As someone who has been to some of the world’s greatest locations and lived in some of its most remote locations, I can say without fear of contradiction that Bill Harte was one of the most accomplished people I have ever met. He was an exceptional leader, and in retirement he will continue to be a role model for others.
Springfield is a town in Central Oregon. It has the reputation of being one of the most beautiful places I have ever lived. The town is also one of the most conservative places, and I’m sure Bill Harte will be greatly missed. His family did not attend his funeral, and we will miss him greatly.
This is where Ted has a big chance to make the rounds.
Because the name Springfield comes from the town of Springfield, Oregon, we were told by a man named Robert that the name was from a name that is a part of Oregon. So what do we do? We don’t know. We have a friend named Dave, who happens to be the head of the Oregon Department of Transportation. We had this idea last week when we called him to tell him that a lot of Oregonians are interested in seeing us.
So what do we do? We pick a date. I like this idea because it will give us a little more leeway on the date because we have never done this before, so we can still go on and make the best of it. The date is April 4.
The date works out well because the obituary is written and announced in Portland’s largest newspaper, the Portland Press Herald. It’s an excellent opportunity to get out in the community and be recognized for making a difference or for being an important voice in Oregon, but also for being a local. The obituary was written by Dave Pemberton. He was a reporter from the Oregonian for 24 years.
The Oregonian’s obituary was written by Dave Pemberton.
Dave is a former reporter for the newspaper and he is one of the few local columnists who have stayed on in Oregon after leaving Portland and moving to Oregon City. They’re all local journalists and they all have a local connection to Oregon.
