Loren Paul Cramer's Obituary
Loren Cramer, of Scappoose, passed away unexpectedly on January 28th at the age of 41. Loren was the best of men; someone who touched lives no matter where he went. In addition to his two sons, Loren served as a father figure to several children whose fathers had passed away or were uninvolved in their lives. Loren and Julie called them their "yahoos". Their home was always full of noise and laughter, and was a place where these children knew that they were safe, loved, and valued. Loren spent a significant amount of time working with these children to teach them the values and skills that they would need to become strong men and women. He will be greatly missed.
Loren was closely involved with a local Kung-Fu club, Colombia Christian Martial Arts. He attended classes three times per week with his boys and the "yahoos". He always made sure that the kids that he worked with had a ride to class, the uniforms and equipment that they needed, and that a way could be found to pay their monthly dues or tournament fees when money was short. He was promoted to his purple belt on the Wednesday preceding his passing and was very proud of his accomplishment.
Loren was also part of a group of good friends who played racquetball several times per week at Colombia City Sports and Recreation. He was very active with this group and was always encouraging new people to come and play. His favorite court is to be named in his honor.
Loren touched lives wherever he was and was always doing things for others. Whether it was the yearly 4th of July or "just for the heck of it" barbeques that he and Julie put on for all of their friends and co-workers, or just lending hand with fixing a computer, helping someone move, or one of the other many things that people relied on him for, he always made people feel that it was never a hassle or an imposition and that he was genuinely glad to help. Loren was not a man who preached about what needed to be done and then waited for others to do it. Loren didn't preach, he just did what needed to be done for no other reason than it was the right thing to do. He will be remembered for the impact that he had on so many people's lives.
Loren was born on July 20, 1970 in Hillsboro, OR to Roger and Karen Cramer. His parents soon moved to Stanwood, WA, where Loren was raised. He graduated from Marysville High School in 1988, and then attended college at Central Washington University where he met Julie and went on to earn degrees in both Chemistry and Physics. He and Julie married on June 14, 1992 in a small ceremony on his uncle's wheat farm in Dodge Junction, WA. He was later accepted in to graduate school at Washington State University and was awarded his Ph.D. in Material Science in 2004. After graduating, he secured a position with Intel and moved back to Hillsboro. In August of 2005, Loren and Julie bought their little house in Scappoose and filled it with friends, children and laughter.
Loren is survived by his soul mate and wife Julie, sons; Brennen and Cameron of Scappoose, parents; Roger and Karen Cramer of Stanwood, WA, sisters; Lynese Cramer and Angela Cramer both of Stanwood, WA, and his brother Rod Cramer of Moses Lake, Washington.
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