I am currently a law student in Oregon at the Willamette University College of Law. In our hallways, photos of past graduates are hung on the walls. The photo of John R. Coutrakon (class of 1976) is remarkable, so I decided to research him on the internet.I asked Skrysak to send along the photograph, and share it below:
I found your blog post about him here.
Illinois is my home state; I grew up west of Chicago and moved here for law school, so I was happy to see that Mr. Coutrakon was also from Illinois.
I am writing you now to ask if you would like to see the photo of Mr. Coutrakon that is shown in the class graduation frame? He must have been quite the character because half of his face and head is shaved clean while the other half has a hair and a full beard. Such a fun person must surely have been appreciated by those around him.
On the page I posted about John, I noted:
JR Coutrakon, who was born on January 10, 1947, died in a wreck involving a logging truck, according to what his friends have shared.
His obituary was published in the Decatur Herald & Review on Valentine's Day, 1987. The sterile details in the paper give little hint of how awful the crash was. "John Roberts Coutrakon, 40, of Brookings, Ore., formerly of Decatur, died Tuesday (Feb. 3, 1987) in Coquille, Ore., from injuries suffered in an automobile accident."
May John rest in peace, and again, condolences to his family and friends.
For more information on the Class of 1965's 50th Reunion, please click here.
