Westlund Memorial

Kari Chisholm

The office of the state treasurer has announced plans for memorial services for Ben Westlund:

The public is invited to two memorial services for Oregon State Treasurer Ben Westlund, who died Sunday of cancer at the age of 60.

A Central Oregon celebration will be at 2 p.m. on Friday, March 12, at the Riverhouse Conference Center, 2850 NW Rippling River Court in Bend.

Westlund will be honored at the Oregon Capitol in Salem at a public ceremony in the House chamber at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 13.

Furthermore:

In lieu of flowers or gifts, the Westlund family asks that financial contributions be directed to the Ben Westlund Memorial Fund, which will accept donations at any US Bank branch starting on Tuesday. The fund will benefit the Opportunity Foundation of Central Oregon. The Redmond nonprofit provides services to people with intellectual or developmental disabilities in Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties.

“Ben Westlund really cared about people and was a longtime champion for people with mental and physical challenges,” said Darrel Wilson, the nonprofit’s executive director.

Correspondence and condolences that are sent and delivered to Westlund’s former Capitol office will be forwarded to the Westlund family.

Finally, BenWestlund.com has been updated to include the statement from the family and staff - as well as a video from his return to the Capitol in 2003 from cancer treatment.

By Kari Chisholm March 08, 2010