Ron Stockman

Why did Leo and Pearlie come to Eugene?

In about 1941 they moved to Eugene from Arkansas primarily seeking employment. He was working for the railroad and she was doing housework for people. The Washingtons had a son and a daughter when they moved and were the first black family in Eugene.

How did Leo and Pearlie come to raise you?

Leo was my mother’s great uncle, and she also moved from Arkansas. She married a man in Portland and had my brother, Jerry, and my sister, Brenda. My mother then moved to California, got pregnant, never married my father, and moved back to Eugene – giving birth to me in 1948.

Four years later she died from ovarian cancer. As a result, Leo and Pearlie took in my siblings and I and raised us – those are the folks I call my parents.

What led to you working at the University of Oregon?

First job I had after high school was at a plumbing shop – Chase Company. My dad always told me, “’You gotta go to the railroads, son.’ That’s the only place he believed you could work and make a living, so I ended up going to the railroad [as well].” I attended school at night for a plumbing apprenticeship program and worked at the railroad during the day for about three or four years until quitting the railroad completely and focusing on plumbing. Times were hard – not a lot of construction occurring, so Chase closed its doors.

I went to work for UPS for about a year, and then was recruited by FedEx. During that time construction started to pick up again and I got a call from a plumbing company wanting me to come on board to help build a new science building at the University of Oregon. So I quit FedEx and went to work on Streisinger Hall – it was a three-year project.

While working there I met faculty and personnel from the University of Oregon, and about a year in they started asking me to work for the University. The pay wasn’t as good as working in a private sector so I kept continued to put that off. Eventually, the Streisinger job started winding down and I began working for the University of Oregon in 1989. I still work at the University of Oregon today, serving the campus community.

 

Terri Cichosz

What is your relationship to Ron?

“Ron Stockman was married to my sister, Leann. I was known as the girl with the black brother-in-law, which was fine with me. The two of them raised me from the time I was 11 to when I moved out at 18. He was a father figure to me. He taught me the value of a dollar, hard work, and dedication. Although he never raised his voice to me, Ron was very strict.  His morals and values helped shape me into the person I am today.”

How did you know Leo and Pearlie Washington?

“I would visit Pearlie and Leo with Ron and Leann. I was young so I don’t remember much about them other than Pearlie being very religious and Leo being quiet.”

What were they like?

“They were quiet yet polite. We would go to their home for dinner sometimes on Sundays.”

What’s your strongest memory involving them?

“My memories of them were more about how Ron would always make sure they were okay. He called them Aunt and Uncle yet they raised him which I always found to be odd.”

 What’s your greatest memory involving Ron?

“I have so many wonderful memories of Ron. We would go camping at Cottage Grove reservoir every weekend in the summer – only there because it had showers and electricity.

He taught me the simple things like how to wash a car, to always wipe down the boat as soon as it comes out of the lake – take care of what you have, show pride in your home and family, and be responsible.”

Any final thoughts on Ron?

            “Despite the fact that my mom disowned my sister for marrying a black man (up until they had children) he was always polite and kind to her and my siblings. He was the cleanest plumber you would ever meet. He wore pressed Levis and white t-shirts under his overalls. To this day he still does. When he returned home, you would never know he had worked a hard day by looking at him. He values his family, friends, and home – his vehicles are cleaner than anyone’s I have ever met. He keeps everything he owns in pristine condition, is the kindest man you will ever meet, and doesn’t live beyond his means. He doesn’t see color, he sees character.”