Wilma A. Foley

Wilma A. Foley, age 92, died April 11, 2023 at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. A retired elementary school teacher and longtime resident of the Corvallis area, her love of the Oregon Coast and the Cascades never wavered. Born Wiilma A. Perhus on a wheat farm near Kindred, ND to Norwegian immigrants on August 22, 1930, Wilma was the oldest of eight children. She graduated from Kindred High School and continued her education at Moorhead State Teachers College in Minnesota. After graduation, she taught in rural schools until dreams of a wider world led her to a job with Braniff Airlines in downtown Denver. It was at an airline party she met her future husband, Robert (Bob) E. Foley. The young couple moved to Greeley, CO where Wilma taught elementary school while Bob attended Colorado State College of Education. She left teaching after the birth of her daughter Suzan in 1957. A desire to live in the Pacific Northwest was realized by a move to Port Angeles, WA for Bob’s first teaching position. A son, Ronald, joined the family in 1960. In 1961, the Foley family relocated to Corvallis, OR where Bob taught in the Corvallis School District for 23 years. Wilma earned a teaching degree at Oregon State University, renewing her teaching career at Riverside & Lafayette schools in the Albany School District. Wilma loved teaching second and third graders in the rural school on Riverside Drive. Wilma also taught for two years in Tucson, during Bob’s sabbatical at the University of Arizona. After retirement, Wilma and Bob enjoyed trips to Montana to visit their two grandsons, exploring the Oregon coast and traveling to Norway to visit relatives. Birdwatching, crossword puzzles and reading were some of her favorite pastimes. For several years, Wilma enjoyed volunteering and later working at the Philomath Arc thrift store, which benefits people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Wilma was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, Robert Foley, sister Maylo Kaiser, brother Orton Perhus and brother Howard Perhus. She is survived by son Ronald Foley, daughter Suzan Foley, grandson Brett Patterson, grandson Chris Patterson (Kaitlyn), brother Allen, brother Syd (Hilda), brother William, sister Mary (Harris) and numerous nieces and nephews. No services are planned, a small outdoor memorial will take place this summer. Wilma will join her lifetime partner at Oak Lawn Cemetery in Corvallis. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Arc of Benton County (www.arcbenton.org). Please share your thoughts and memories for the family at www.mchenryfuneralhome.com

Tributes

Wilma A. Foley

August 22, 1930 - April 11, 2023