Kathleen Deedon

Age 79, Kathleen "Mickey" Deedon passed away Monday morning, December 26, 2016. Oregon has always been home for Mickey: she went to school in Rainier, college in Monmouth, and spent her adult life in Roseburg where she taught elementary school for thirty-eight years. Her husband of more than fifty years, Gordon Deedon, predeceased her in 2013.

It is estimated that Mickey taught almost 1,000 Roseburg school children over the course of her teaching career; most of them in the Melrose area. Mickey often ran into former students or siblings or parents or children of former students and she enjoyed hearing how her former students and their families were faring. After retiring from teaching, Mickey volunteered at Mercy Hospital until she was hired (by a former student of course) to work in the communications department. Mickey worked at Mercy for more than 14 years before retiring a few years ago.

Mickey was always on the go and especially enjoyed watching her grandchildren's activities. She was often off to see someone, sing somewhere, or craft something. In one of these adventures she won her way on stage at the Price is Right where she kissed Bob Barker. As a young woman, Mickey was asked to leave college before completing her training because Oregon was experiencing a teacher shortage. Teachers were needed desperately and she was sent to Roseburg where she met her future husband. Several years later, a substitute was hired so Mickey could return to college and finish her degree which included doing her student teaching in her own classroom. As a baby, her grandfather once sheltered her from the rain by holding her inside his coat. When they reached their destination he pulled her out of his jacket and, in his Australian-accented English, proclaimed "Here's my mickey" which is how Kathleen became Mickey. People who knew Mickey also knew that she loved all things Disney and particularly Mickey Mouse.

Mickey is survived by her four children and their spouses, Karen Levear and husband Simon Levear of Eugene, Oregon, Tom Deedon and wife Robin Scott Deedon of Antioch, CA, Sandra Forrester and husband Mike Forrester of Idleyld Park, OR, and Connie Callahan and husband Henry Callahan of Snoqualmie, WA; nine grandchildren, Jennifer Levear of Portland, OR, Gabriel Forrester of The Dalles, OR, Brittany Deedon of Eugene, OR, Duncan Levear of Waltham, MA, Justin Deedon of Roseburg, OR; Jacob Forrester of Idleyld Park, OR, Ellen Callahan of Snoqualmie, WA, Gillian Callahan of Snoqualmie, WA, and Caitlyn Callahan of Snoqualmie, WA; and one great-grandchild, Liam Forrester of The Dalles, OR.

The family invites Mickey's fellow teachers, knitters, singers, other coworkers, former students, and other friends to an open house to celebrate Mickey's life on January 6, 2017, at Linus Oaks from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. In lieu of cards or flowers the family suggests donations to your local blood bank. Her family will inter her ashes along with her husband's later in the year at Roseburg Memorial Gardens.