Oliver Wayne Vernor

Oliver Wayne “Ollie” Vernor, 83, of Seaside, died Monday, Nov. 19, 2012, in Seaside.

He was born May 6, 1929, in Wood River, Ill., to Wendell and Frances Ione (Fox) Vernor.

Raised in Wood River, he attended Wood River Elementary School and graduated from Wood River High School with the Class of 1946.

He studied journalism at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Ill., and while attending college, worked for the Associated News Service.

In 1953, he married Leila Mae Hickerson. She survives, residing in Seaside.

Mr. Vernor’s business life started at Standard Oil, working in the canning department, then he was a tester at the Sinclair Refinery. He joined Hartford Accident and Indemnity Insurance Co. as a safety consultant, and worked there for 30 years. The Hartford Co. transferred him to South Bend, Ind., then to Glenwood, Ill., Louisville, Ky., and to Florissant, Mo. In 1983, the family moved to Seaside, when he retired from working with the Hartford Co. He then sold real estate and opened his own agency.

He became active in the community. He was a member of the Seaside Convention Board, the Salvation Army Board, and the Community Service Commission Board. He was a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers for more than 25 years, and was president of the Clatsop County Association of Realtors in 2002. He was on the Seaside City Council for six years, and was the mayor of Seaside from 1995 to 1998. He was also a board member of the Oregon Mayors Association and a member of the Rotary, Seaside Elks Lodge, Sons of the American Legion, Shriners, Seaside Ambassadors and a Masonic Lodge member for more than 50 years.

He was a volunteer firefighter since the age of 18. He volunteered with many fire departments which included Wood River, Rosewood Heights, Ill., Glenwood, and Lyndon, Ky. While volunteering with Rosewood Heights, he was also an arson inspector. He was on the Seaside Volunteer Fire Department for more than 19 years, and he was the first chaplain there.

Family members said his hobbies included being a ham radio operator for more than 50 years, and photography.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by a son, Robert Vernor of Baton Rouge, La.; a daughter, Cathy Jo Opfer of Virginia Beach, Va.; two grandchildren, Joshua and Jessica Opfer of Virginia Beach; and a sister, Frances Green of Rosewood Heights.

He was preceded in death by a brother, Richard Vernor; and a sister, Geraldine Cowan.

A memorial will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24, at the Seaside United Methodist Church.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to the Seaside United Methodist Church, 241 N. Holladay Drive, Seaside, OR 97138; or the Seaside Volunteer Fire Department, 150 S. Lincoln St., Seaside, OR 97138.

Caldwell’s Luce-Layton Mortuary in Astoria is in charge of the arrangements. An online guest book may be signed at www.caldwellsmortuary.com