Waldo Milton Claflin II ’34

Waldo Claflin, a design engineer who worked for the Naval Aircraft Factory, Republic Aviation, and Grumman before moving to Boeing in 1966 to help design the 747, died May 29, 1997, of Parkinson's disease.

After he retired in 1971, he bought a 100-acre cattle ranch in the Coast Range mountains of western Oregon, where, in his words, "I personally plow, harrow, and reseed my pastures." In the isolated community of Blachly he was chairman of the fire board and saw the department grow from a one-engine, one Red Cross volunteer service to a three-station, seven-vehicle fire district with a full staff of emergency medical technicians. The community dedicated the training facility in its new fire station to him. Waldo was also an accomplished violinist who played in symphony orchestras together with his wife of 48 years, Priscilla (Geldard), who survives. Also surviving are a daughter, Barbara (Mrs. George A.) Newton, and two grandchildren. To them we offer our sincere sympathies.