Ed Casey: Change to Succeed
Oral History of: Ed Casey
Interviewer: Sandra Carlson
Date: 06/21/2022
Location: Tualatin Heritage Center
Ed's personal motto is Change to Succeed. Watch as our Co-Historian Sandra Lafky Carlson has a discussion with him about all the changes and success in his life. After graduating in 1969 from the Univ of Portland (Industrial Management), Ed worked as a local banker and realtor. He moved to Tualatin in 1973, when population was 973, with his wife, Joanne and children, Cristin and Steven. Ed helped shape our city as it grew and continues to be a vital member of our community with activities such as the Jaycees. He founded and built the 10 Minute Oilery on Boones Ferry Rd, with a second store in Aloha in 1990. During that time, Ed also helped found the Wetlands Conservancy and the Tualatin Chamber of Commerce. He sold his stores in 1999 expecting to retire. Upon “retiring”, Ed continued to serve his home town on Tualatin Visioning Committee; the Tualatin Area Aging Task Force; Tualatin Lions Club; Veterans memorial task force and fundraising for the Caring Closet.
BIO NOTES FOR ED CASEY 6-18-22 (These notes Ed self- wrote in preparation for his interview)
“EARLY LIFE”
Born in Portland 1945, Lived in SW Portland (West Slope) until 10 yrs old
Went to Gable Country Day School (pre-school)
Moved to SW Portland between the Hoyt Arboretum and current Portland Zoos.
Went to Grade School at St. Thomas More School on Council Crest
High School at Jesuit High School
University of Portland – Started in Engineering, transferred to School of Business and got Industrial Mgmt Degree in 1969.
“ADULT LIFE”
Married in 1969 to Joanne Flynn, who I met at U of Portland. (still the love of my life!) We had a daughter and son who were raised and educated in Tualatin. Our daughter now has twin girls who we co-parent to help our daughter
First “real” job at 1st National Bank of Oregon in 1969 – from Management trainee to Loan Officer, Credit Analyst & Consumer Branch Manager. Was Loaned Executive for United Good Neighbors in 1st year at bank. One of my first “assignments: was as a United Good Neighbors “Loaned Exec”. I went to businesses and schools and asked for donations to UGN.
I Left FNB Bank in 1976 and Joined Art Lutz & Co. Realtors in Tualatin. Sold homes in Tualatin and surrounding area and was Guaranteed Sales Manager until the market turned down and I retreated back to banking,
I was loan officer at newly opened Bank of Oregon – a newly built branch on Boones Ferry Rd. Was there for a few years, but remembered why I quit banking & left to start my own business. The Key Bank is now at that site.
I Started 10 Minute Oilery, a quick auto service business in 1981 in the Boones Ferry Auto Mall in Tualatin, just across I-5, but still in Tualatin. I Added another Oilery shop in Aloha a few years later, and sold out to Jiffy Lube in 1999. My corporate motto was “Changes for Success” which included my employees, customers, their cars and their attitudes toward auto service in general. I lived that motto for many years, and still relate to it now.
I “retired” in ’99, but was busier than before.
“CIVIC LIFE” My “Civic Life” probably started because of my parents. My dad was VERY involved in Portland. During WWII, his family company built Navy Ships in downtown Portland. They built over 250 Navy ships near the Ross Island Bridge, and had from 6,000 to 20,000 employees during WWII. My dad was V.P. of the company, and was in charge of personnel as well as much of the operations.
After WWII was over, they sold the operations to Zidell and my dad started a road construction company. However, he was Very involved elsewhere. He was a founding member of the University of Portland Board of Trustees. He served for many years. He was also on the board of the St. Mary’s Boys Home in Beaverton, and also involved in the Portland Rose Festival. He was a long time member of the Rose Festival Association and the first two-time President after he guided the Festival out of the red into financial stability. – Always doing things for others.
My mother was also helping others. In WWII, she was a nurse assistant in Portland. After the war, she volunteered at her church and was a Cub Scout leader when I was young. She always had to support many charities any way she could.
I guess I followed in their footsteps.
“MOVING TO TUALATIN” My wife and I with our baby daughter bought a house in Tualatin in late 1972. There were 976 people in Tualatin, no traffic lights and Hervin Dog Food Factory When I was at !st National Bank, I asked one of the appraisers in the main office “where would a good place be to live in Portland.” He replied “Tualatin” – first choice. Two days later, my wife and I drove to Tualatin, found a newly built house in Apache Bluff and bought it! After we signed for the house, there was a murder (knifing) at the Green Spot Tavern (now the CI)! Shortly after we moved in, Tualatin was hit with one of their epic floods, and I remember filling sand bags on Boones Ferry Rd. close to SW Martinazzi. What a start!
We are now in our 3rd house in Tualatin and consider this our “forever house”.
Ed Casey Bio notes (cont)
“WHAT HAVE I DONE IN TUALATIN” In our first year in Tualatin, I got a knock on the door and a nice fellow asked me if I’d like to help start a “Jaycees Club”.
He explained what they did and could do, so I joined. What I didn’t know at that time is that I’d be the Charter President for the club. Jaycees was for young men 18-35, and I fit right in. We did lots of projects in Tualatin, including starting the Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Tualatin Park. We had a Haunted House project which we ended up giving to the Tualatin Youth Advisory Council. We had “Call Santa” projects for many years, We joined forces with the Crawfish Festival Association to keep the festival running for many years, and helped many families, children and adults through our efforts. I’ve been King Cray (and my wife – Queen Cray) for the Crawfish Festival.
When most of our members were at or over 35, we still wanted to help, so we moved to the Tualatin Lions Club in force. I’m still a member of Tualatin Lions Club, now nearly for 40 years. Each year, in addition to the Easter Egg Hunt, we help with Sight Screening of all the grade school children in Tualatin. We find around 17% have vision problems. We also have a special project in giving all the first graders in Tualatin an American Flag. Our Flags for 1st Graders is so special and rewarding as we have given out thousands of flags over the years.
I was a founding Board Member of The Wetlands Conservancy, a non-profit land trust to protect Oregon’s Wetlands. It was started by Jack and Althea Pratt Broome. I served that group for over 35 years, as Board Member, and treasurer or secretary.
When I was a local banker, I joined the Tualatin Business Association, which we soon turned into the Tualatin Chamber of Commerce. I was a founding member, and the 2nd President of the Chamber. Twice, I volunteered as the Chamber Executive when there were vacancies. I have served on many Chamber groups. I am now a Life Member of the Chamber and am still active. I was Business Person of the year and won the “Spirit of Tualatin” award in 2017
I served on the Tualatin Architectural Review Board for many years, and was a founding member of the Tualatin Library Foundation. For a number of years, Dale Potts and I supported the Caring Closet (clothing for Tualatin/Tigard school children. We collected cans and bottles and recycled them. We figure we took over 200,000 cans & bottles for them.
I am active on the Tualatin Area Senior Task Force. We worked hard to keep the Post Office in “downtown” Tualatin when they wanted to move it to Teton Ave. with their distribution center. We’ve also been very vocal about transportation in Tualatin, and have lobbied for Tri-Met to add service to Tualatin. We are now advocating for a true “downtown” in Tualatin and an upgraded transit system that actually meets the needs of Tualatin
I am also involved in a group that is advocating for a Tualatin Veterans Memorial Park next to Lake of the Commons. We are trying to get this designed to recognize ALL those who have served, from our Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and Space Force to the Women who have served, the Dogs who have served and the Gold Star Families who have lost family members protecting our country.
I’m currently President of the Ibach CIO, and a Tualatin CERT member (Community Emergency Response Team) Overall, I can’t count the meetings, surveys or gatherings I’ve attended in Tualatin over the past 40+ years.
Topics:
