Dee "Chico" Farris Jr.

Dee Jr. "Chico" Farris, 86, formerly of La Grande, died the morning of July 4 at the VA medical center at Roseburg. Family and friends are invited to a celebration of his life at 5 p.m. Saturday at Riverside Park. Attendees should feel free to bring a picnic sack lunch, blanket or chair and memories of Chico. For more information, call 541-963-6668.

A full honor guard military service including a 21-gun salute will begin at 11 a.m. July 20 at the National Veterans Cemetery in Roseburg. For more information, call Michelle at 541-294-6644.

He was born March 28, 1924, the first child to Lady Irene McBroom and Dee Edison Farris in Cambridge (Kiowa County), Okla.

Dee J enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1942. His military career was served in the South Pacific with an honorable discharge in 1945.

After his discharge he settled in La Grande with his wife, Margy.

Dee J. started his employment at Goss Motors May 28, 1948. In 1952 he married Annette Wood. After 50 years of employment with Goss he retired the first time in 1998 but continued to work and retired a second time a couple of years later but still continued to work part-time off and on for another year or so.

In December 1996, he married Arlene Robinson. In April 2010 they moved to Coos Bay.

Some of Chico's many loves included animals, working in his yard, reading, huckleberrying, hunting, fishing, joy-riding, eating dessert, and most of all just wanting to be useful with any thing at all and working at Goss.

Survivors include his wife, Arlene of Coos Bay; brother, James of Noble, Okla.; sisters, Peggy Lou Lounsbury of San Landero, Calif., and Patricia Kay Patterson of Hobbs, N.M.; step-children, Gary Keller of La Grande, Dennis Wood and his wife, Ladella, of Alicel, Michelle Tucker and her husband, Mel, of Coos Bay and Mike McCann and his wife, Vicky, of St. Helens; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Jerrell Dwain Farris; sister, Polly Ann Waldron; step-daughter, Marilyn Keller; grandson, Micha Wood; daughter-in-law, Ellen Keller; and step-daughter, Karen Sue Roberts.

Memorial contributions may be made to Blue Mountain Humane Association.

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