Nov. 21, 1944 – June 2, 2013

A memorial service to celebrate the life of Darwin R. Thies, 68, of Redmond will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, June 15, at Grace Community Fellowship, 989 Country Club Road, Eugene, OR, with Pastor Steve Hill officiating. Private cremation rites and a private family inurnment will be held at a later date.

Darwin was born in Cottage Grove, OR, Nov. 21, 1944, to Raymond M. Thies and Audrey May (Aubrey) Thies. He passed away on June 2, 2013, at his home in Redmond, OR.

On November 27, 1964, Darwin married Darla Stalder in Cottage Grove, OR; they later divorced in 1982. They had a daughter and a son in Cottage Grove and in 1976 the family moved to Reedsport.

In the early 1990s, he and his second wife, Deloris (Dee) Saunders moved over the mountains to ”God’s country” and settled in Central Oregon.

Darwin enjoyed many hobbies, but hunting and fishing with his son was his favorite. He was a volunteer firefighter for many years. He also enjoyed golf, motorcycling trips on his Goldwing, photography and his grandchildren. He worked for many years as an electrician and millwright in the wood products industry until his retirement in 2009. He enjoyed helping others with building projects and you could often find him helping out at a friend’s gas station.

Darwin is survived by his daughter, Denise Williams of Creswell, OR, and son, Daryl Thies of Lacey, WA; stepdaughter, Tammy Distifino of Beaverton, OR; stepson, Brandon Murdock of Thornton, CO; brother, Malcolm Thies and sister, Barbara Mullins both of Cottage Grove; and his six grandchildren.