June 16, 2006, was the end of the ninth inning for Bud Shirtcliff.
Bud was born April 8, 1931, in Myrtle Creek, son to Mae and Ted Shirtcliff. He attended elementary and secondary school in Myrtle Creek, surrounded by family and friends. After graduation in 1949 he enrolled in the School of Physical Education at Oregon State College on an athletic scholarship, where he lettered in basketball and baseball. A highlight of his life was playing on the first baseball team in OSU history to go to the College World Series in 1952. He was a live-in member of Sigma Nu.
In 1953 Bud began two years of military service in the U.S. Air Force. In 1955 he moved to sunny California, settling in Redlands in 1959. Bud served several years as recreation director for the city. Most of his years, however, were spent as a contractor, building and remodeling countless homes in Redlands.
Bud is survived by his companion, Marian VanNice, of Corvallis; and six children, Teri Martin of Redlands, Joyce Testman and Joni West of Boise, Idaho, Tina Bair of Paia, Hawaii, Tom Shirtcliff of Vista, Calif., and Pam Dueck of Yucaipa, Calif.; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. His sister and brother-in-law, Marianne and Don Major, live in Roseburg and sister Joanne Bechtold lives in Portland.
Memorial services to honor Bud will be Sunday, June 25, in Redlands.
A graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 1, at the I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Myrtle Creek.
A personal memorial can be made to the OSU Foundation, 850 S.W. 35th St., Corvallis, OR 97330, marked “New Baseball Scoreboard.”
