November 2004 IBEW Journal

Deceased

Herman R. Teeple

The IBEW is saddened to report the September 12, 2004, death of retired Ninth District International Representative Herman R. Teeple. He was 81.

A journeyman wireman, Brother Teeple was initiated into Portland, Oregon, Local 48 in 1942, where he served for several years as a business representative. In 1963, he was elected business manager and financial secretary and served until his appointment as International Representative in 1971. In his early years with Local 48, Brother Teeple was an active organizer. As international representative, Brother Teeple serviced locals in Oregon and southwest Washington.

Well-known in the Oregon labor community for his dedication to trade unionism and commitment to political activism, Brother Teeple represented the IBEW with distinction until his retirement in 1987. During a full career, he was a delegate to the Multnomah County Labor Council and the Building Trades Council and was an officer of the Union Labor Retirement Association, which built nearly 1,000 apartments in Portland for retired workers. Upon his retirement, then Oregon Governor Neil Goldschmidt issued a proclamation in honor of Brother Teeple.

Brother Teeple served three years in the Army infantry during World War II and was an active member of the Masonic Lodge. He enjoyed fishing and woodworking, particularly building birdhouses for his wife, Betty, an avid bird watcher who died in 2001. The IBEW sends heartfelt condolences to his children, Greg Teeple, a Ninth District International Representative, and Anita Stammer, the executive assistant to the Local 48 business manager, and to his four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Transitions