James Frederick Sprouse, age 69, a resident of Tygh Valley, OR, passed away September 19th, 2023. Spencer, Libby and Powell Funeral Home in care of arrangements.

Eleanor Jean Delzer, age 97, a resident of The Dalles, OR, passed away September 24th, 2023. Spencer, Libby and Powell Funeral Home in care of arrangements.

Leona Helen Voeller, age 90, a resident of The Dalles, OR, passed away September 9th, 2023. Spencer, Libby and Powell Funeral Home in care of her arrangements.

Etta Mae Haynes, age 94, a resident of The Dalles, OR, passed away September 20th, 2023. Spencer, Libby and Powell Funeral Home in care of arrangements.

Scott Allen Bastin, age 60, a resident of Los Angeles, CA, passed away September 14th, 2023. Spencer, Libby and Powell Funeral Home in care of arrangements.

Susan Ann Lewallen, age 85, a resident of The Dalles, OR, passed away September 16th, 2023. She will be Buried at Willamette National Cemetery. Spencer, Libby and Powell Funeral Home in care of arrangements.

Betty Jean Wolfe, age 88, a resident of The Dalles, OR, passed away September 9th, 2023. A Graveside Service will be held at Odd Fellows Cemetery on 18th St in The Dalles, OR, September 23rd, 2023 at 1:00 pm. Spencer, Libby and Powell Funeral Home in care of arrangements.

Joanne Ethel Smith, age 85, a resident of The Dalles, OR, passed away September 12, 2023. Spencer, Libby and Powell Funeral Home in care of arrangements.

Harvey Eugene Banker, age 84, passed away September 11th, 2023. A Celebration of Life will be held at The Moose Lodge in The Dalles, OR, September 23rd, 2023 at 1:00 pm. Spencer, Libby and Powell Funeral home are in care of his arrangements.

Perry Louis Barber, age 90, a resident of The Dalles, OR, passed away September 10th, 2023. Spencer, Libby and Powell Funeral Home in care of arrangements.

Cindie Lee Crofton, age 63, a resident of Dufur, OR, passed away August 24th, 2023. Spencer, Libby and Powell Funeral Home in care of arrangements.

James Olin Proffitt, age 85, a resident of The Dalles, OR, passed away September 7th, 2023. Spencer, Libby and Powell Funeral Home in care of arrangements.

Mary E. Linderman, age 80, a resident of The Dalles, OR, passed away September 6th, 2023. Spencer, Libby and Powell Funeral Home in care of arrangements.

Axel passed away doing what he loved best, fishing and hanging out with his friends.

Axel was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1948 at his family home.  He enjoyed returning to that home years later, during one of his many trips to Germany, to see where it all started.  When Axel was just four years old, he, his parents, and his older brother emigrated to Canada.  They remained in Canada for several years until eventually settling in Southern California.

Rather than leave his fate to the draft, Axel joined the Navy in 1968.  While in the Navy, he was able to fine-tune his diesel and mechanical skills as an aviation machinist mate.  He loved his time in the Navy and received an honorable discharge.

After the Navy, Axel found work in the California oil fields where money was plentiful and where he could work hard and play harder, which he did…a lot!  Eventually when the oil fields slowed, Axel turned to real estate sales, where he did quite well.

Axel often traveled to the Pacific Northwest to camp, fish, and see friends.  When the opportunity presented itself to move there, he took it.  In 1988 his California home sold in less than 24 hours and off he went to the great camping/fishing oasis of Washington. He bought 5 acres, 4 cows, 3 goats and several chickens, and brought along his dogs, cats, wife and kids.

Axel loved every minute of farm life.  He made many new friends and had some crazy adventures.  Along with the cows came the need to operate and maintain the various pieces of equipment needed for making hay.  Ah yes, make hay while the sun is shining, true story!

Axel always enjoyed the water, whether to swim, fish, boat or play water polo.  He got a river boat and due to an early medical retirement, nothing stood in his way of fishing, playing in the rivers and crabbing in Astoria.  So much fun and good eats!  He could not believe his good fortune when he learned of a program that actually paid him money to fish!  He studied the best strategies for catching these particular fish and did quite well at that, too.

Another discovery Axel made upon settling in the Northwest was his all-time favorite basketball team, Gonzaga.  He spent many hours scheming on ways to obtain tickets to games whenever Gonzaga was in town.

In April 2020, Axel was suddenly struck down with HSV-1 Encephalitis, a little-known inflammation of the brain.  He was blessed with an ER doctor who diagnosed him quickly and got him right into treatment, thus saving his life and limiting the damage to his brain. He was in serious condition and required infusions of strong medications which almost destroyed his kidneys.  He had nurses at the house most days because this was during covid. We praised God that he was able to be treated at home.  It was rough for quite a while, but recently the right combination of medications was allowing him to really enjoy life again.

Axel took great joy in helping others.  He had a soft heart under his gruff exterior and was well loved.  He had solid friendships and would give the shirt off his back (and literally did) when called for.  A sample of this will be on the slide show at his memorial.

Axel will be greatly missed, and many hearts and lives now have voids that can never be replaced.

Axel is survived by his wife of 45 years, Lesley McDaniel Metscher; Oldest Son, Locomotive Engineer Jeffrey Scott Metscher, Younger Son, Randy Reinhard Metscher, grandchildren, Kaitlyn Metscher, Kylie Metscher, Kyle Metscher, Jared Metscher, Ethan Metscher, Alyssa Metscher and our Caboose, Koen Metscher; also extended family members in Germany and Canada.

A Celebration of Axel’s Life will take place on September 30, 2023 at the Historic Venersborg Schoolhouse, 24309 NE 209th St., Battle Ground, WA at 11:00am followed by refreshments.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Encephalitis Society, the brain inflammation charity can be sent. https://www.encephalitis.info

Lyle E. Savage, age 63, a resident of The Dalles, OR, passed away September 5th, 2023. Spencer, Libby and Powell Funeral Home in care of arrangements.

Richard Eugene Moore, age 80, a resident of The Dalles, OR, passed away August 25, 2023. A family gathering will be held at a later date. Spencer, Libby and Powell Funeral Home in care of arrangements.

Maria Jan Jim-Watlament, age 48, a resident of The Dalles, OR, passed away August 23, 2023. Spencer, Libby and Powell Funeral Home in care of arrangements.

Paula Marie Orozco, age 48, a resident of The Dalles, OR, passed away August 11th, 2023. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Spencer, Libby and Powell Funeral Home in care of arrangements.

Laurie Nichol’s legacy is one of looking upward and outward. Her last Facebook post was on Easter, expressing her hope in Jesus. Her love of people was lifelong and her ability to connect with others a true gift. Even as she was facing cancer treatments, before leaving a hospital bed, she would pray for the per-son who would occupy that space next.

Laurie Ann (Lyons) Nichol was born on Oct. 2, 1961, in Flint, Mich., and died on June 19, 2023, in The Dalles, Ore. She was the second of three daughters born to John (Jack) Patrick and Jean Therese Lyons. Her older sister Jeanne Marie was 2 at the time, and little sister Mary Therese came along two and a half years later.

The family moved to Bethel Park, Penn., in 1967 when Jack got a promotion with General Motors. Bethel Park was a wonderful place to grow up. Jack would randomly take the family on a “mystery trip” vacation, and they were always special to Laurie and her sisters.

Laurie loved the social side of school. She met her lifelong friends in eighth grade cheerleading. In high school, she was involved in all kinds of clubs, but she was most proud of being in the Bethel Park Bethettes — a part of the marching band. She raised her pom poms high at every football game, parade and marching competition.

The family moved to Boulder, Colo., in 1978 after another job promotion for Jack. Laurie stayed behind as a part of the Kern family to finish her senior year of high school before heading west. Although she missed her family, that year was full of fond memories and a special sisterhood bond with her best friend, Traci. Laurie continued to stay close to her high school friends over the years, including traveling together, fur-ther strengthening their friendship.

Once in Colorado, Laurie got a job at StorageTek in Louisville. She and Mary loved doing aerobics together at Flatiron Athletic Club in Boulder. In January of 1986, Jeanne gave Laurie’s phone number to a medical student named Tom in the dental office where she worked, and Laurie and Tom were married on June 14 of that year. Together with the man she later referred to as her “True North,” she and Tom started the first of their 37 years as a team. They moved to Phoenix, Ariz., shortly after for his medical residency. In December of 1988, Christina “Tina” Marie was born.

After looking for a community for Tom to begin practicing medicine in 1989, Laurie and Tom settled on The Dalles. Little Tina kept Laurie busy, but Laurie volunteered at the children’s museum nevertheless. Tina became a 4-year-old big sister when Devin Lyons was born in 1993. Laurie always had her hand in their activities, whether it was Tina’s dance recitals and soccer games, or Devin’s tennis matches and musical pursuits. She even stepped waaay out of her comfort zone to coach Devin’s peewee soccer team when no one else could. Laurie loved being a mother.

Laurie’s years in The Dalles were marked by generosity, encouragement, and service to others. There was a stint where she was a “Cookie Lady,” one of several group members who would take dozens of cookies to the high school at lunchtime as a way to connect and minister. One time, Laurie was heartbroken to see a pregnant girl sitting all by herself. To her, a student like that was the reason for the ministry. Laurie continued to have a heart for the adolescent age group. Many young people considered Laurie to be a mother figure and she loved them all dearly. However, Laurie had a special place in her heart for Tina’s college roommate, Sadie, and later for the family’s Belgian exchange student, Tim. The connections she formed as the teaching director for Teen Community Bible Study (CBS) were also strong. She was even asked to officiate a wedding! Laurie was also active in CBS as the area director and enjoyed attending all types of community events.

Naturally, Laurie’s love of people extended to hospitality. Perhaps due to her Italian heritage, she opened their home to countless people of all ages and served delicious meals, no matter the size of the crowd. She loved feeding people. Bringing together the Nichol side of the family from five different states for every-other-year Thanksgiving gatherings was Laurie’s terrific idea. For years, she hosted a Fourth of July celebration for family friends in the community that even included a kids’ mini parade with decorated bikes and wagons. Each year, a king and a queen were crowned and Laurie played the Star Spangled Banner while they completed a victory lap.

Laurie loved to cook, host, entertain, dance, and have fun with family and friends. She was delighted on the occasions when she met famous people when traveling, including Carol Burnett and Cameron Diaz, and never shied away from talking to them. She loved flowers, good food (especially “snackies” made by her brother-in-law Ronnie) and her Yorkies. She was always able to portray elegance; she had a good eye for creating a beautiful yard, home, and event. For special occasions, she was always polished and stylish. She had a close bond with her sisters and mother and would visit as often as she could. She had a great sense of humor and loved laughing, especially at Tom’s antics.

She and Tom enjoyed traveling, sometimes just the two of them, sometimes with family and friends. She was thrilled when Jeanne and her husband Greg could join them in Turks and Caicos. Her favorite place on Earth was Cannon Beach. The family took a special trip after Tina’s high school graduation which included visiting Lucca, Italy, where her maternal grandfather Arthur Consani was born. That meant a lot to Laurie. Another highlight was visiting with Tim and his family in Belgium a few years later.

Laurie joined cheerleading in eighth grade, but essentially never stopped cheering for others her whole life. She was a nurturer, encourager, life coach, mother figure and friend. One of her favorite roles, though, was becoming “Nona” to her granddaughter Lucy Sofia Perez in July of 2021.

Laurie loved all the people in her life and embodied this message that she shared in the wedding service she performed: “Love is fundamentally action … and when the Bible speaks of love, it measures it primarily not on how much you want to receive, but by how much you are willing to give of yourself.”

Laurie is survived by her children, Tina Perez and Devin Nichol; son-in-law Luis Perez; granddaughter Lucy Perez; mother Jean Lyons; sisters Jeanne Myers and Mary Gillam; and numerous extended family members and countless friends.

Memorial donations can be made to the Laurie and Tom Nichol Memorial Fund through The Gorge Community Foundation.

A memorial will be held in honor of Laurie and Tom Nichol at the Columbia Gorge Community College Amphitheater on Aug. 25 at 7:30 p.m. All are welcome.

Thomas Andrew Nichol, M.D. was born in Denver, Colo., on Jan. 30, 1960, and died in The Dalles, Ore., on June 19, 2023. Tom was the second child of Dr. Thomas William and Barbara (Barby) Williamson Nichol. His older sister, Cindy, had just turned 1 when he was born, and within the next 10 years, he became a big brother to sisters Suzanne, Andrea and Meredith.

Tom spent his early years in the mountains of western Ethiopia, where his parents served as medical missionaries. His experiences included playing soccer with the local children, learning Amharic, and exploring in a swarm with the other missionary kids. Tom, along with sisters Cindy and Suzanne, attended Good Shepherd boarding school outside the capital, Addis Ababa, starting in third grade. Ethiopian food remained his lifelong favorite fare.

The family returned to Colorado in 1971, settling in Longmont for a year before moving to Estes Park in 1973. Tom attended the Estes Park schools, where he excelled in basketball and track and was crowned prom king. His name is the first inscribed on a sportsmanship plaque reflecting selflessness and character.

Tom followed his parents’ footsteps and enrolled at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Ill., eventually deciding on a chemistry major. He and his friends wanted to have fun and make a difference, so they created the Q.T.G.s … Quite the Guys. The Q.T.G.s’ philanthropy projects included a run benefitting the American Cancer Society. While at college, Tom played on the golf and soccer teams. He followed his parents’ lead further by deciding to enter the medical field upon graduation. He wanted to help others.

Tom attended the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver from 1982-1986. He became close friends with others in the Nu Sigma Nu rentals and enjoyed highly competitive foosball games during study breaks. The spring before he graduated, he proposed to Laurie Lyons, whose sister had arranged a blind date with him that January. Laurie said yes. They were married on June 14 of that year, and Tom had 37 anniversaries with “the most amazing woman I know.”

Tom’s residency in Internal Medicine was a three-year stint in Phoenix, Ariz. Their first child, Christina “Tina” Marie, was born there in 1988. The draw of the cooler Pacific Northwest, windsurfing, and the opportunity to join a medical practice brought the little family to The Dalles in 1989. A few years after the move, son Devin Lyons was born in 1993.

Tom touched so many people with his medical acumen, compassion, and humor during the 33 years he served as an internist and then hospitalist in The Dalles. He is remembered for his generosity (offering to mow a lawn when a patient was in the hospital), his calming demeanor (a fellow doctor who immediately felt relief when Tom arrived on the scene of an emergency), his brilliant mind and persistence (saving a man’s life when others were preparing family members for the worst), and, of course, his humor and passion for life (joking with patients by pretending he didn’t know where the end of the stethoscope went, and skateboarding on the fourth floor of the hospital when it was being renovated). Being a doctor was a calling more than a vocation for him.

Tom made the most of his off-hours, too. He loved the outdoors, carefully tending his garden, and was always environmentally conscious. He enjoyed a wide variety of sports including golf, windsurfing, kite-boarding, snowboarding and riding his road bike. If having a one-wheel is a sport, add that to the list. Once he challenged himself to ride it from home to work, making it all the way to his desk! He enjoyed gruyère, game nights, and get-togethers with his friends. His hobby farm gave him a special connection to his late grandfather Nichol’s chicken hatchery, and he was a third generation Denver Broncos’ fan.

His playful nature was on display at community events, especially Dancing with the Gorge Stars in 2016. He loved coaching and helping with Devin’s and Tina’s youth teams, including soccer, basketball, and hockey. The investment was long-term, playing goalie while players practiced shooting during high school, and driving three of the boys to Portland to try out for a college soccer team. That mentorship extended to having talks with the kids that visited their home for Teen CBS and offering a balanced, thoughtful response when his children and their friends would seek his counsel. He always knew what to say.

Besides giving time, Tom and Laurie were also marked by generosity with their resources. Someone would have a need and they would cover it. Whether it was the use of their belongings or their home or financial help, they quietly contributed.

Tom enjoyed traveling as well. For Tina’s graduation, the family went to Italy, and years later visited their exchange student Tim from Belgium. Tom and Laurie vacationed at numerous beaches where he could be on the water and she could relax on the shore. He returned to his childhood homes in Ethiopia in the winter of 2013-14 with Cindy, packing medical supplies and soccer balls. Tom often played soccer with local kids, sometimes missing the ball to make them laugh. In 2018, Tom and Devin took a trip to Scotland exploring their ancestral home.

Tom’s trademark gift was his humor, and he was more than comfortable using it. He enjoyed sharing his off-the-charts creativity and singing skills in the videos he made for special occasions. His storytelling, often of his own mishaps, could make others laugh, often to the point of tears. He had a quick wit and a creative perspective that brought joy and laughter.

Tom’s greatest joy was his family. “I thank God every day for blessing me with this woman and our two children.” He was thrilled to become a grandfather when Lucy Sofia Perez was born in July 2021. In classic Tom fashion, he chose to be called “Palapa,” a word he picked up in Turks and Caicos meaning “beach hut.” Tom called little Lucy one of the “great joys of life.”

The ripple of Tom’s effect on others extends to the patients he healed, the young adults he guided, the friends he loved, and the family he left with a gaping hole in it.

Tom’s legacy lives on through his children, Tina Perez and Devin Nichol; son-in-law Luis Perez; granddaughter Lucy Perez; mother Barby Nichol; sisters Cindy Nichol, Suzanne Tennent, Andrea Kell, and Meredith Heikes; and numerous extended family members and friends.

Memorial donations can be made to the Laurie and Tom Nichol Memorial Fund through the Gorge Community Foundation.

A memorial will be held in honor of Laurie and Tom Nichol at the Columbia Gorge Community College Amphitheater on Aug. 25 at 7:30 p.m. All are welcome.