Obituary of Wanda Janet VanGulik
Wanda J. Tiger Van Gulik of Lake Oswego, Oregon, passed away on August 26, 2021, in Salem, Oregon.
Wanda was born in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma to DeWitt Tiger and Vurna (McGill) Tiger on July 3, 1936. She moved with her parents and siblings to Stayton, Oregon when she was ten. She graduated from Stayton High School in 1954 as Valedictorian. She went on to earn a degree in Business Administration from Oregon State University. She worked as a System Analyst for IBM Corporation for 28 years until she retired.
Wanda met and married her husband, Joe Van Gulik, an engineer in Lake Oswego, in 1976. They enjoyed traveling around the country and to Europe and vacationing at their homes in Sunriver, Sublimity, and Klamath Falls. They celebrated 40 years of marriage before he passed away in 2017. She frequently said marrying Joe was one of the best decisions she ever made.
Wanda had a lifelong love of learning. She returned to school while working full-time to obtain her Master of Business Administration at Portland State University in 1982. Even after her retirement, she enrolled in Spanish classes and attended a Spanish immersion program in Mexico. She also encouraged others to continue learning by supporting several nieces and nephews in their efforts to obtain degrees or further their education.
Wanda was extremely proud of her family’s accomplishments and of their Native American, Muscogee (Creek) Nation heritage.
Wanda is survived by step-daughter, Rebecca Ferguson, siblings Betty Miller, Lori Davis, Peggy Spitz, George Tiger, and Susan Kuhnle, and 34 nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her spouse, her parents, and siblings Wynona Farris, Mary Winter, Helen Collins, James Tiger, and Carolyn Beebe.
A celebration of life for the family will be held at the Tiger home in Sublimity at a later date.
The family wishes to extend their gratitude to the hospice workers at the Edward F. Tokarski Home. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Wanda’s name to Willamette Valley Hospice, 1015 3rd St NW Salem, OR 97304, or online at wvh.org/donate
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