1928
Robert
2018
Robert Frederick Holznagel
February 17, 1928 — December 17, 2018
Robert F. Holznagel
Feb. 17, 1928 – Dec. 17, 2018
Robert Frederick Holznagel died Monday, Dec. 17, at his home in Forest Grove, Oregon. His wife of 64 years, Ruth Courtright Holznagel, was at his side. He was 90 years old.
Bob was born in Hillsboro on Feb. 17, 1928, the eldest of three children of Frederick C. Holznagel and Lillie Rosenkranz Holznagel. A 1946 graduate of Hillsboro High School, he served in the U.S. Army from 1946 to 1949, attended Oregon State University for a year, and then enrolled at Eastern Oregon College of Education, where he received a bachelor’s degree in 1953 and a master’s in 1960. He served for 35 years as a teacher, assistant principal and principal in the Parkrose and Forest Grove school districts. After a year at Lincoln Junior High in Forest Grove, he moved to Portland and worked at Wygant Elementary, Parkrose Junior High and Fremont Junior High. He then returned to Forest Grove, where he served at Joseph Gale Elementary, Lincoln, Neil Armstrong Junior High, Gales Creek Elementary, and as the district’s special education director.
A lover of singing and theater, Bob was a choir member for many years at Forest Grove United Church of Christ, where he also served terms as the congregation’s moderator (lay leader) and on one of its pastoral search committees. He was an early board member at Theatre in the Grove, where his favorite on-stage role was Harold Hill in The Music Man (1973). He appeared in some 20 other productions there, including Annie Get Your Gun (“Buffalo Bill” Cody), Show Boat (Capt. Andy Hawkes), Harvey (Elwood P. Dowd), Life With Father (Father) and Inherit the Wind (Henry Drummond). He and Ruth researched and wrote historical monologues and dialogues featuring Forest Grove founders Harvey Clark and Tabitha Brown, which they performed at schools, clubs, and civic and church gatherings. Bob also loved beachcombing at the Oregon Coast, golf, pool, pinochle and spending time with his family.
Bob’s survivors, in addition to his wife, are their sons Hans Holznagel (Kathryn Harlow) of Cleveland, Ohio, and Ryan “Fritz” Holznagel (Julie Corwin) of Somerville, Mass.; his brother, Gary Holznagel (Susan), of Forest Grove; his sister-in-law, Jean Holznagel, of Portland; grandchildren, Clifton Holznagel of Portland and Alyssa Holznagel of Cleveland; and many nieces and nephews. Bob was preceded in death by his parents and by his brother, Donald Holznagel.
An open house to greet the family and remember Bob will be held Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018, from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of Forest Grove United Church of Christ, PO Box 265, Forest Grove, OR 97116. Private interment will be at Fir Lawn Memorial Park, Hillsboro. For those wishing to make memorial donations, the family suggests Forest Grove United Church of Christ (address above) or Care Partners Hospice and Palliative Care, 1600 NW Compton Dr., Suite 210, Hillsboro OR 97006.
Feb. 17, 1928 – Dec. 17, 2018
Robert Frederick Holznagel died Monday, Dec. 17, at his home in Forest Grove, Oregon. His wife of 64 years, Ruth Courtright Holznagel, was at his side. He was 90 years old.
Bob was born in Hillsboro on Feb. 17, 1928, the eldest of three children of Frederick C. Holznagel and Lillie Rosenkranz Holznagel. A 1946 graduate of Hillsboro High School, he served in the U.S. Army from 1946 to 1949, attended Oregon State University for a year, and then enrolled at Eastern Oregon College of Education, where he received a bachelor’s degree in 1953 and a master’s in 1960. He served for 35 years as a teacher, assistant principal and principal in the Parkrose and Forest Grove school districts. After a year at Lincoln Junior High in Forest Grove, he moved to Portland and worked at Wygant Elementary, Parkrose Junior High and Fremont Junior High. He then returned to Forest Grove, where he served at Joseph Gale Elementary, Lincoln, Neil Armstrong Junior High, Gales Creek Elementary, and as the district’s special education director.
A lover of singing and theater, Bob was a choir member for many years at Forest Grove United Church of Christ, where he also served terms as the congregation’s moderator (lay leader) and on one of its pastoral search committees. He was an early board member at Theatre in the Grove, where his favorite on-stage role was Harold Hill in The Music Man (1973). He appeared in some 20 other productions there, including Annie Get Your Gun (“Buffalo Bill” Cody), Show Boat (Capt. Andy Hawkes), Harvey (Elwood P. Dowd), Life With Father (Father) and Inherit the Wind (Henry Drummond). He and Ruth researched and wrote historical monologues and dialogues featuring Forest Grove founders Harvey Clark and Tabitha Brown, which they performed at schools, clubs, and civic and church gatherings. Bob also loved beachcombing at the Oregon Coast, golf, pool, pinochle and spending time with his family.
Bob’s survivors, in addition to his wife, are their sons Hans Holznagel (Kathryn Harlow) of Cleveland, Ohio, and Ryan “Fritz” Holznagel (Julie Corwin) of Somerville, Mass.; his brother, Gary Holznagel (Susan), of Forest Grove; his sister-in-law, Jean Holznagel, of Portland; grandchildren, Clifton Holznagel of Portland and Alyssa Holznagel of Cleveland; and many nieces and nephews. Bob was preceded in death by his parents and by his brother, Donald Holznagel.
An open house to greet the family and remember Bob will be held Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018, from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of Forest Grove United Church of Christ, PO Box 265, Forest Grove, OR 97116. Private interment will be at Fir Lawn Memorial Park, Hillsboro. For those wishing to make memorial donations, the family suggests Forest Grove United Church of Christ (address above) or Care Partners Hospice and Palliative Care, 1600 NW Compton Dr., Suite 210, Hillsboro OR 97006.
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