Eduardo Barvosa
Oct. 14, 1919 - Dec. 11, 2015
Eduardo Barvosa, 96, of Lebanon passed away at home on Dec. 11, 2015, surrounded by his family.
Eddie was born on Oct. 14, 1919, in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, to Guadalupe Siller Barvosa and Domingo Barvosa. He was the fourth of six children. He moved with his family to Texas at the age of 1 month and spent his early years on the Byrd Ranch in Dimmit County, Texas.
Eddie worked at farming and ranching until age 17, when he left for Michigan to work for the Michigan Sugar Company. His favorite activities in his youth included fishing, playing drums in a local dance band and playing catcher for sandlot baseball teams. He also did a stint as a small town radio announcer.
Ed entered the army in 1942 and served honorably in World War II with the 9th Infantry Division in the European Theatre. He participated in five campaigns: Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland and Central Europe. He fought and was wounded in the battle of Saint Lo for which he received his Purple Heart. He also served in the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest, the Battle of the Bulge, Battle for the Rhine River and was at the meeting with the Russians at the Elbe River. He received the Combat Infantry Badge, Bronze Star for Heroism, Good Conduct Medal, Army of Occupation of Germany Medal and the Distinguished Unit Badge.
Ed married Pamela Harvey in 1967 in Texas and then moved to Lebanon where he spent the rest of his years. On the way to Oregon they spent a year in Albuquerque, New Mexico. An accomplished chef, Eddie worked as the deputy head chef at the Officers Club on Albuquerque's Kirtland Air Force Base. There, in July of 1969, he cooked breakfast for the Apollo 11 astronauts who were en route to Florida to launch for the first moon landing.
Locally, in Oregon, he cooked at Pops Branding Iron, the T&R Truck Stop and La Cabana Restaurant, from which he retired in 1985. He was a member of the American Legion Post 51 and of the Albany Eagles Aerie 2255.
A joyful adventurer with a playful sense of humor, he enjoyed nature, travel, gardening, boating, baseball and music. An avid ballroom dancer, he danced with his beloved wife into his 96th year.
The greatest joy of his life, however, was in his two children: daughter Edwina, a professor at University of California, Santa Barbara, and son Edward, a Walmart store manager in Portland. Other survivors include Pamela, his wife of 49 years; six grandchildren, Nikol, Aaron, Taylor, Deyana, Jessica and Samantha; as well as one great-granddaughter, Lilly; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and all five of his siblings.
As was Eduardo's wish, no funeral service will be held. A celebration of his life will take place in the summer of 2016.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Samaritan Evergreen Hospice House, 525 N. Santiam Highway, Lebanon, OR 97355.
AAsum-Dufour Funeral Home is handling arrangements ( www.assum-dufour.com ).