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A Kesey probiotic power couple. Towering political figures. A dedicated youth sports coach. Here are some of the people Eugene and Springfield lost in 2025.
The people that Eugene and Springfield lost in 2025 represented many different parts of the community.
They were health food industry icons. They were business leaders. They were sports coaches. They got silly on their school’s morning announcements. They always had a smile, and a cup of tea ready. They were cherished, as our reporters found out through writing obituaries, talking with loved ones and trying to capture a life’s work in one article.
Here’s a look back at the people our community said goodbye to this year.
Chuck and Sue Kesey, Springfield Creamery icons and probiotic pioneers
The two were married for nearly 65 years and together, they built Springfield Creamery from a small local milk-bottling operation in 1960 into a nationally recognized producer of cultured dairy foods.
The Keseys were pioneers in adding probiotics to American yogurt, and are responsible for a famed piece of Lane County lore. The 1972 Veneta benefit concert with The Grateful Dead — with whom the Keseys connected through Chuck’s brother Ken’s group of Merry Pranksters — saved the creamery from financial hardship, and is featured in the music documentary “Sunshine Daydream.”
Read more: Springfield Creamery co-founder Sue Kesey dies at 86, Springfield Creamery co-founder Chuck Kesey dies at 87
Olympian, UO coach Bill Dellinger
Dellinger, an Oregon native, went to the Olympics three times, in 1956, 1960 and 1964. In Tokyo, in 1964, he won the bronze medal in the 5,000 meters. He also coached distance running for University of Oregon for nearly 30 years, most notably mentoring Steve Prefontaine.
“It is with an extremely heavy heart to say that we have lost a LEGEND today,” wrote Dellinger’s nephew on Instagram after his death in June. “My Uncle Bill Dellinger passed away peacefully with his family by his side.”
Read more: Olympian, UO coach Bill Dellinger dies at 91
James Edmunson, towering Oregon political figure and Eugene attorney
Edmunson, a prominent figure in Oregon politics who helped shape the trajectory of the state’s Democratic Party, was a sixth-generation Oregonian. He served as a state legislator and later as chairman of the Democratic Party of Oregon from 1999 to 2007.
Edmunson’s imprint was wide: He encouraged people to run for office, helped map out strategies for flipping the state House and Senate into Democratic hands and worked as an attorney who handled workers compensation cases. Along the way, he also supported the expansion of voting access, making the case before skeptical Democratic National Committee officials that Oregon’s vote-by-mail system would work for presidential primary elections.
Read more: James Edmunson, a towering Oregon political figure and Eugene attorney, dies at 74
Jean “Fritz” Pierre Louis, “Mushroom Man”
Jean “Fritz” Pierre Louis was known to many as the “Mushroom Man.”
But that’s only a small part of how his friends and family remembered him as they gathered Sunday, Dec. 7, to celebrate his life.
Louis’ body was found Nov. 19 in the Willamette National Forest, more than a month after he was reported missing. The 76-year-old Oakridge man reportedly went out in the woods hunting mushrooms, one of his favorite activities.
Read more: Loved ones celebrate life of caring tailor, known to some as ‘mushroom man’
Gavin McComas, longtime owner of Sundance Natural Foods
The longtime owner of Sundance Natural Foods in south Eugene cared deeply about his community, fought for causes he was passionate about, and always made sure the people around him had a cup of tea.
“He was wonderful,” said Melissa Brown, who owns The Kiva Grocery with her husband, George. “And you know, when you were in his company, he would serve your tea and you would never get the chance to see the bottom of your glass. He was just very generous and funny.”
Read more: Gavin McComas, longtime owner of Sundance Natural Foods, dies at 79
Bill Morrisette, former Springfield mayor and state legislator
They called him “Mayor Bill” and “Wild Bill” and sometimes had to shield their eyes when glancing at his loud and colorful ties. But you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone in Springfield who would have wanted it any other way.
After all, Bill Morrisette was the walking, talking embodiment of all things Springfield.
The former teacher, mayor and state legislator, championed regional cooperation with Eugene and the rest of Lane County, opposed anti-gay ordinances and helped shepherd his city through the 1998 shooting at Thurston High School.
Gil Hulin, a fixture of South Eugene sports and a Kidsports coach for decades
Hulin was a coach. A statistician. A sports reporter. A model train collector. A stamp collector. A regular church-goer. A lifelong bachelor. An only child. A member of the Axe Hall of Fame at South Eugene High School.
He started volunteering as a coach in various sports in 1979 and didn’t stop until COVID shut everything down in 2020, said Bev Smith, Kidsports’ executive director.
“He wanted to break the record,” she said, referring to most seasons coached in the organization’s history.
Read more: A quiet man, a quiet death; but his influence ran deep
Market of Choice CEO Rick Wright
To those who knew him professionally, Rick Wright was the dedicated leader who built Market of Choice into Oregon’s largest independently owned grocery chain. But to his family, he was someone different — a fun-loving father and grandfather who wore flip-flops everywhere, even in the middle of winter, and who couldn’t sit still when there was work to be done.
“He definitely had two different sides to him,” his son Zach Wright said. “He was very professional and serious here at work, and as a father and grandfather he was fun, relaxed, playful.”
Read more: Friends, family remember how Market of Choice CEO Rick Wright quietly changed lives
E.J. Rotherham, the ‘heart’ of Agnes Stewart Middle School
E.J. Rotherham’s blond wig shook as he belted out the lyrics to the Friday song on Agnes Stewart Middle School’s May 23, 2025, morning video announcements.
“Monday is a bummer, Tuesday is a drag, Wednesday’s getting better, Thursday’s not so bad, but Fridayyy, Fridayyyy, Friday is my favorite day,” he sang, his exaggerated enthusiasm making the two middle school co-anchors crack a smile as they sang along.
In his 26 years at the school, as a teacher and assistant principal, Rotherham was known equally for his loud, goofy spirit – he made frequent use of hats, wigs and costumes — and his ability to listen and understand. His compassion and his commitment to students defined his life.
Read more: The ‘heart’ of Agnes Stewart Middle School: Community remembers assistant principal who died at 60