Obituary of Gwynn Bakkensen

Gwynn and Joe Bakkensen were together till the end. Gwynn died on November 1 at 90, and Joe died on November 8. They were married for 68 years, had 5 children, 14 grandchildren, and 3 great grandchildren. Gwynn was proud of her family, and they were always the center of her life. She was preceded in death by her eldest daughter, Laurie Bakkensen Odlum (Jim) and survived by Nancy Bakkensen Plumlee (Maury) from Vancouver, Washington, Joni Bakkensen Juergens (Eric) from Madison, Wisconsin, Drew Bakkensen (Debbie) from Portland and Jim Bakkensen (Laura) from Scappoose.

Gwynn Marie Calkins was born on October 4, 1931, in Portland, Oregon. Gwynn had a difficult childhood, with limited parental involvement. She never used this as an excuse not to succeed. Gwynn graduated from Astoria High School. She married Joe Bakkensen on June 6, 1953. The newlyweds lived in Portland and Seattle, settling in Astoria in 1961. Gwynn later got an associate degree from Clatsop Community College. She then worked as a Realtor in Astoria. When Joe’s work took them to Oklahoma, she continued her education at Southern Oklahoma State University. At the time she had 3 children in college, and found humor in comparing GPAs, as hers was always a 4.0.

Typical of her generation, Gwynn’s primary focus was her family. Gwynn managed a household with 5 children, and always had room at the table for cousins and friends. When they remodeled their Astoria home in the 70s, Gwynn put a picnic table in the kitchen. You could always add another person to the table with bench seating. Kindness and humor were hallmarks of Gwynn’s personality. When Gwynn’s health made a move to assisted living necessary, one of her big concerns was who would take the Meals on Wheels route that she and Joe covered.

Gwynn took on leadership roles in church, Scouting, Rotary Club, as well as any organization her kids were involved in. Her kids' activities often took her out of her comfort zone. She learned to load a horse in a trailer, took sewing classes so she could keep one step ahead, and brought home snakes and frogs from the country club to entertain her sons. She was involved in The League of Women’s Voters and felt strongly about educational opportunities for women. She was a lifelong learner. People Educating Others, PEO, was a passion of hers. Gwynn was the Chair of the Educational Committee for many years. Although Gwynn immersed herself in her husband’s Scandinavian culture, she was also proud of her heritage. She knit Irish Fisherman Afghans for all her children and grandchildren, as high school graduation gifts. Considering the crippling arthritis in her hands, this was a gift of pure love and devotion.

Joe and Gwynn loved the game of golf, and it influenced much of their leisure time, as well as travel. Gwynn had 3 holes in one, and fully enjoyed the competition and the social aspects of the game. They built a home in Surf Pines and enjoyed the proximity to Astoria Country Club. Gwynn walked a loop to the beach most days with her dog and stayed fit her whole life. Gwynn was also a Master Gardner, although the sandy soil in Surf Pines challenged her green thumb.

There will be a celebration of life for both Gwynn and Joe on March 5 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Seaside. Reception to follow. To accommodate any Covid related changes to this plan, please RSVP to gwynn.joe.service@gmail.com Donations may be made in Gwynn’s memory to the P.E.O. Oregon Marguerite Scholarship Fund. Donations may be sent to the OSC Charitable Trust, c/o A. Carpenter, PO Box 777, Astoria, OR 97103.