Philip "Phil" A. Rude

Philip Arthur Rude

August 23, 1941 – August 10, 2016

Phil Rude was born in Seattle, Washington on August 23rd, 1941 to Harold and Myrtle Rude.  He was raised in Burien Washington and attended Highline High School.  In 1964 he graduated from Washington State University with a Bachelor of Architectural Engineering degree.  Phil was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa.  While attending WSU he met his future wife, Jackie Yarber.  They married on August 8th, 1964 and moved to Portland where Phil began his architectural career.  He was employed by Skidmore Owings & Merrill for many years, until the firm closed its’ Portland office in 1988.  He had since been employed by Yost, Grube, Hall Architects, Hoffman Construction Co., and Fletcher Farr, Ayotte, where he was still employed one day a week on a slow path to full retirement.  During his career Phil had been involved with the planning and construction of numerous projects in the Northwest.  Among his favorites were Autzen Stadium in Eugene; St. Vincent Hospital in Portland; The historic preservation of the White Stage Building in Portland; the historic restoration of the Marcus Whitman Hotel in Walla Walla, Washington; and St. Charles Medical Center in Bend.

Shortly after moving to the Portland area, Phil and Jackie joined St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Beaverton, where Phil was an active member throughout his lifetime.  He served as treasurer on the church council, chaired the men’s retreat committee for many years, and served on the church building committee where he was instrumental in the hiring of Pietro Belluschi and the firm of Yost, Grube, Hall to design and plan the building of the existing nave and narthex.

Phil and Jackie raised their children; Ken, born in 1967, and Stacy, born in 1971, in the Beaverton area.  Phil was a family man and spent most of his spare time with his family.  He loved planning vacations to places both near and far.  Yearly trips to the beach and Black Butte Ranch, in Central Oregon, with family friends were always eagerly anticipated.

When the nest was empty he began planning more extensive trips, so that he and Jackie could see the ancient architectural sites that he has studied while at WSU.  Travel became a passion and he never tired of planning and taking international vacations as well as road trips in the Pacific Northwest.  He was planning yet another trip at the time of his death.

Phil is survived by his wife, Jackie; children, Ken and Stacey; Daughter-in-law Tracey Rude; and grandchildren Brandon Rude, Chelsea Rude, Taylor Harbuck, and Sierra Wood.  He was a wonderful husband, father, and grandfather, and will be greatly missed.

A memorial service will be held at 1:30 P.M., Saturday, August 27th, at St. Matthew Lutheran Church; 10390 SW Canyon Road, Beaverton.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be sent to St. Matthew Lutheran Foundation, or the St. Matthew Lutheran Food Pantry (S.C.A.T) at 10390 SW Canyon Road, Beaverton, OR 97005.