25 Comments
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Carol Swanson's avatar

OK.......should I routinely have a box of Kleenex on hand? Lovely, John!

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John Canzano's avatar

Jeanne was not just keeping Bob’s memory alive… I think she was keeping herself going.

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hokieduck's avatar

I love everything about this story. I just hope that someone was kind enough and loving enough to do the same for Jeanne. She could be with both her Bob and her Ducks.

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John Canzano's avatar

I have no doubt she’s out there…

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hokieduck's avatar

I hope you have an undisclosed source for that, John! ;)

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Jim Stewart's avatar

Great story. My family spreads ashes. I can be anywhere near the Pacific and feel close to loved ones. Same ocean, may just be a different beach.

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Brad Weekly's avatar

My mother was a member of the Daisy Ducks. She was a mild-mannered woman, mostly - but not when it came to the Ducks. She cared a lot and in later years would scream at the TV along with my Pop. They are both gone now, and cremated, their ashes nestled in a memorial garden on the grounds of their church in Wilsonville.

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John Canzano's avatar

The Daisy Ducks are still going 💪 strong

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Mike McFarland's avatar

John, your story brought back immediately to my Mom’s story. She was a huge Braves fan and I am a Giants fan. I told her once I got hired after college we would go watch the Giants and Braves play a game. She died suddenly in 1996 a week after I got hired a job. My mother wanted to be cremated and I brought her and five family friends to San Francisco and watched Giants and Braves play in Candlestick Park. She was wrapped in a Braves blanket and we had seats in the last row of the 100 level. She was perched on the seat back and leaning against the retaining well. Ryan Klesko hit a grand slam but the Giants ended up winning 7-5. Later I spread her ashes in Ocean Park, OR where she got to have a great view at my wedding in 2001.

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John Canzano's avatar

Great memory.

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A Cooper's avatar

Thank you for the story. It reads like a story from my favorite journalist, Tom Hallman Jr.

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Mark Gilman's avatar

A slightly creepy, yet endearing story.

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Charles A Roseberry's avatar

Lovely story; Bob is not alone. Our oldest daughter Cathryn, a lifetime Duck (English, '80) left us early four years ago. Her beloved sorority sisters took care of the deed, and our guess is she wasn't the first to receive such love from that beautiful group of women.

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John Canzano's avatar

Outstanding.

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Alice F.'s avatar

Rumor has it that friends of someone I know who was a die hard Duck fan and avid golfer scattered a few of his ashes in the park area across from the south entrance at Autzen and near the 16th green at Eastmoreland. I'm sure some Saturdays in the fall he's not resting too peacefully 😊

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Ken's avatar

I assume they weren't Catholic! :)

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Craig Cheney's avatar

Never have written to a journalist before but I absolutely love your writing!..Miss u at the Oregonian but am enjoying this site a lot!

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John Canzano's avatar

Thank you, I’m not going anywhere. It was time to be my own boss. I appreciate all who follow here. It’s been amazing to see the response. Thank you.

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Rusty Hampton's avatar

Great move John

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Ariel T. Friesner's avatar

This practise is bereft of ethics. The reason that you have to deposit cremains on football fields surreptitiously is because, no doubt, some football players would object to coming into contact with burial grounds. Also, cremains would pose a maintenance hassle with artificial turf. (This activity was recounted by the former UOregon alumni director, Dan Rodriguez in 2011.)

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Bill Moore's avatar

Thank you John, very touching story.

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John Canzano's avatar

Thanks Bill

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Ken Woody's avatar

John, some of my dad's ashes are on the 40-yard line (east) where I used to kickoff for games in the original Autzen--good column, best, Ken Woody

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Randall Anstett's avatar

This was beautiful. Wow

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Darin Campbell's avatar

I remember hearing this story around 2000. I was moved then just as I am now.

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