Pearl Kotyo

Pearl Schrock Kotyo was born on Oct. 23, 1923, in a farmhouse east of Albany, to Dave and Bena Roth Schrock. She attended McFarland School near Tangent, and walked several miles from the family farm to school. Later, the family moved to the south Corvallis area to join the developing ryegrass industry: growing, harvesting, cleaning and shipping grass seed world-wide. She graduated from Albany High School, and attended Hesston College in Hesston, Kan., for one year. It was while she was working in the fields near the Corvallis Airport that she met her future husband, Paul Kotyo, a young Marine stationed at the airport. The couple moved to and started their family on the family farm south of Corvallis. The couple had four children, Carol, Elizabeth, Margaret and John. They later divorced. For 23 years, Pearl assisted her father in the grass seed industry, managing his office and shipping seed around the world. After the family sold the farm, she began a new career at Hewlett-Packard Co., where she proudly worked for the next 10 years in the user’s library, enjoying her contacts with customers from around the world. Pearl was a kind and amazing woman and Mother. She had a wonderful sense of humor. Perseverance and an accepting nature defined her. Mother had class. She was quietly passionate and devoted to ensuring that her children had the opportunity to experience the finer things in life. She always found ways to support our creative and other interests. Attending sporting events was her simple pleasure, never participating in any herself, except for baseball; she found great joy in watching her son and grandsons play sports. She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers Vernon, Earl and Dale Schrock; sister Opal Schrock Kuhns; and her daughter Carol Kotyo. Pearl is survived by her children, Liz (Buffy) Ortman of Corvallis, Margaret Kotyo and Gary Glenn of Monroe, and son John Kotyo of Albany; grandsons Ben Ortman of New York and Sam Pond of Corvallis; great-grandson Abram Pond Johnson; sister Irene Herbert; sisters-in-law Virginia Schrock and Leona Schrock; and dozens of nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews whom she adored. Mother, you were so loved and appreciated, and will be missed for the rest of our lives. We take comfort in knowing you are with those family members who preceded you in death and who welcomed you with joy and open arms, especially Carol Ann, whom you so longed to hold again. Memorial donations in Pearl’s name can be directed to Evergreen Hospice in care of McHenry Funeral Home. A visitation is set for 3 to 7 p.m. Monday, July 18, at McHenry Funeral Home. A interment will take place at 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 19, at Willamette Memorial Park in Albany, with a memorial service at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Northwest Hills Community Church, 3300 N.W. Walnut Blvd. in Corvallis. Online condolences can be sent via www.mchenry funeralhome.com.

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Pearl Kotyo

October 23, 1923 - July 11, 2011