Virgil Franklin Lemley

Virgil Lemley passed away on March 28th in Medford, OR. 

Born Virgil Franklin Bowden in Russellville Arkansas on January 4, 1935. 

He and his mother, Dorothy, moved to St. Louis, MO in 1939. His mother remarried Stanley James Lemley, a soldier that became his stepfather. Together the new family was transferred to Florida shortly after World War II broke out. 

After the war, they moved to Orange California where Virgil attended high school and experienced the most important event in his life. He met, fell in love, and married Joanne Sue Soden in 1952. 

They attended Whittier College until Virgil was drafted in 1954 and served during the Korean war at the Army Language School in Monterey California. Virgil and Joanne returned to Southern California with a huge bonus; their first daughter Deborah. 

He received his Bachelor of Science in Engineering from UCLA in 1960 with a double bonus; a daughter, Suzanne, and a son Kirk. 

The moon race was on and engineers were in high demand particularly in Virgil's specialty; logic computer design. He was intimately involved in the design of the Centaur computer used for the Surveyor moon surface exploration. He attended many of the launches at Cape Canaveral as a member of a launch support Tiger Team. 

They started looking for a more peaceful life style. It took them 3 years investigating 7 states to find Cave Junction and the paradise they wanted; a home in the woods and on a beautiful creek in 1977. 

He taught science, coached high school football and helped Joanne run her business; a custom wood products company. He enjoyed working with young people. 

He is survived by his children Deborah Blanchard, Suzanne Lemley Schein, Kirk Lemley, his sister Linda Cox, and five grandchildren. 

Celebration of life will be in Grants Pass on Jan 4, 2026

In lieu of flowers please consider donating to Illinois Valley High School.

Please share a memory of Virgil on his Guestbook below.