Hugh Foley

Hugh Miller Foley was born March 3, 1944 in Seattle, Washington to Edna Rose Foley and Hugh Miller. His father, Lieutenant Hugh Miller of the 169th Infantry Regiment, was killed in the Philippines during WW I when Hugh was six months old. Edna Rose and husband Tom Foley raised Hugh in Martin City, Montana with eight siblings. He attended Columbia Falls High School and then went onto Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. There he tried out for crew and the coach saw his potential and strongly suggested he needed to be at Philadelphia’s Vesper Rowing Club. Hugh transferred to Lasalle College in Philadelphia and started rowing at Vesper in 1963. He eventually qualified for their eight with coxswain which went to the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo and won a gold medal. In 1966, Hugh finished his education at LaSalle College earning a degree in accounting. In 1967, he met his wife-to-be Birgit Louise Okeson on a blind date and they were married August 23, 1968. They had two sons, Elias Joaquin and Erik Blair, in 1972 and 1974 respectively. Hugh was the head rowing coach at Boston University from 1970 – 78 and was involved in team selection and training for the 1972 Olympic boats, plus various international races in 1974 and 1976. The family moved to Montana in 1978 where Hugh worked for Plum Creek Lumber in Human Resources and Production Supervision. The family enjoyed many years of hiking, biking, camping, and fishing in and around Glacier National Park. In 1990, the family moved to Eugene, Oregon where Hugh became a licensed financial advisor with Ameriprise Financial. Hugh was active in Kiwanis, Foursquare Church, and most importantly as a grandfather to four grandchildren Athen Jones-Foley, Rainier Foley-DeFiore, Kailasa Foley-DeFiore, and Arthur Joaquin Foley. Hugh passed away peacefully November 9th due to complications resulting from a ten year battle with Parkinson’s disease and Lewy Body Dementia. He is survived by his wife, two sons, and their families.