Tom Findlay was born September 14, 1934 in Roseburg, Oregon and went to be with the Lord December 9, 2019 while watching the National Finals Rodeo on television.
He was preceded in death by his parents Tom and Ruth Findlay, and his sisters Ruby Jo Resner and Brenda Fitzgerald.
Tom is survived by his wife of 64 years, Jan and his children, D’Gaye, Amy, Bob and Brett (Terri); and grandchildren Betsy (Jared), Blaine, Derek (Kristen), Alaina (Sam), Cameron, Callie, Anthony, Adrienne (Charles), as well as 12 great grandchildren and one on the way.
Tom entered the National Guard at the age of 14 well before the legal age of 17. He would push the rules even back then. He then joined the Army for two years and then entered Southern Oregon College in Ashland. In 1955, he married Jan, the love of his life and together they began the “Findlay Funny Farm.” In college he majored in history, thinking of becoming a coach one day but his minor was in coon hunting at night when he wasn’t working at the service station. He played football and was instrumental in starting a successful wrestling program at the school where he became Pacific West Coast wrestling champion in his weight class and was never pinned.
In 1958, he left school and went to work in the timber industry both in the woods and at a mill for a short time. Leaving the woods led to a successful career in the livestock industry. He went to work at Schrickers Livestock Auction and later at Douglas County Livestock learning the ins and outs of the sheep business and later branching out into cattle and becoming a livestock order buyer and rancher.
Team roping was a huge part of his life both as a producer and competitor. He managed to make his hobby part of providing for his family and those roping skills were handy when wild cattle were cheap, “if you can catch them’”
Tom was generous with his time and money. He was always there to help friends when needed working cattle. His pickup and trailer were a familiar sight up and down the roads in Douglas County. If there was a fundraiser auction to benefit kids, a pie auction at the church, he was there with his hand in the air supporting the effort and pushing others to do the same. He was also a familiar face bidding and buying kids market animals at the Douglas County Fair. If you stopped by the house you would likely be handed some beef and a carton or two of eggs when leaving.
The family would like to invite you to share in the celebration of Tom’s life on Saturday January 4, 2020 at 1 p.m. at Church on the Rise, 3500 Diamond Lake Blvd in Roseburg, where he was a member. There will be light refreshments provided after the service, so please bring your stories and memories to be shared with friends and family while visiting during that time. For those unable to be there in person there is livestreaming online by going to www.ChurchontheRise.church.
In lieu of flowers, please donate in Tom’s name to Roseburg Rotary Youth Livestock Program, PO Box 502, Roseburg, OR 97470. Proceeds will be used to purchase a project animal(s) at next year’s fat lamb show or county fair.