John P. Bromley Jr., recent chair of the Oregon Trail School Board and retired department chair and computer science instructor at Sam Barlow High School, Gresham, Ore., died February 12, 2009. at home. He was 65.
A Sandy, Ore., resident since 1989, John is survived by his wife Margaret “Peggy” Arnold, Sandy, Oregon.
John was born July 30, 1943, in Chattanooga, Tenn. He was reared in Ooltewah, Tenn., and obtained a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1965. Upon graduation, he joined the Peace Corps, serving two years in Malaysia and one year in Sarawak as a volunteer secondary science teacher.
After a two-year stint as a Peace Corps recruiter based out of Nashville, Tenn., John and Peggy married Sept. 15, 1970, in London, England, before embarking on overseas teaching careers.
American Samoa was the first stop for four years. John served as a coordinator of science curriculum (K-9) and science teacher inservice coordinator. His duties included teaching ninth grade science on the island’s educational television network and he was instrumental in introducing a hands-on science program in Samoan primary schools.
The next move found John and Peggy in the Dominican Republic, teaching math and science in the English language section of a school operated by a Canadian nickel-iron mining company. From there, John and Peggy went to Jakarta International School, Indonesia, for six years where John was computer coordinator and taught computer programming, physics and physical science. Their last overseas position was two years in the American School of Lima, Peru, where John was computer coordinator and taught computer science and math. During the course of three summers, he obtained a master’s in computer science education from the University of Oregon in 1983. In all postings except Lima, he also taught scuba diving.
John and Peggy returned to Eugene, Oregon, in 1983. John taught math and computer programming for a year at Cottage Grove High School and the following year did substitute teaching in the Salem/Corvallis area. Retiring in 2003 after 16 years as a computer coordinator, department chair, technical support expert and computer science teacher at Sam Barlow High School, John actively pursued other interests to include fostering troubled teenage boys, hosting international students and teachers, and doing volunteer work for the American Red Cross, Sandy library, and local Democratic Party. He also served on the school board from 2006 until his death and was actively involved in helping to pass a recent school bond to fund a new high school in Sandy.
Ever active in retirement, John and Peggy continued traveling abroad, skiing, hiking and camping. When at home, John was an avid theater patron, cook, reader, gardener, bird watcher and wildlife observer.
John is also survived by his sister Rebekah Bromley, Chattanooga, Tenn.
A celebration of life service will be at a later date.
In lieu of flowers the family requests you consider a donation to your own favorite charity or the American Cancer Society.