Darlene’s Story
Darlene Jean Jensen was born November 4, 1955, the ninth of 13 children (and the eight daughter of nine born in a row) to her Christian parents Raymond Jensen and Nina Petersen. She lived her entire childhood in the same house on West 6th Street in Junction City, Oregon, a small farming community where her father was also a rural mail carrier for the USPS, Darlene was always very proud to have come from a large family. Their home was the place to go to if someone was looking for a playmate.
Throughout her school years Darlene found success in both academics and athletics. She also loved to type, developing a pretty good hunt-and-peck speed long before she was allowed to take a single class at school. Upon graduating from High school, Darlene took the three national, state and county scholarships she won for her secretarial skills to Merritt Davis Business College in Eugene, then put those skills to work for the CIA in Washington, D.C. After being coaxed into joining the D.C. staff of a U.S, senator from Oregon, she worked on “The Hill” for a disillusioning three-month period. By then, she had worked in that office longer than any other secretary, which was clearly a sign. Following another year living and working in the D.C. area as a legal secretary, she returned to Portland in 1976 doing the same work, eventually working several years for Kaiser Permanente.
Almost immediately upon her return to Portland, she began attending Hinson Church, became active in the church’s 300-plus career class and rededicated her life to Jesus Christ. She met Daniel Maddox during the summer of 1981 at a career class event, and they became fast friends. They married May 1, 1982, bought their current home on Franklin Street in Portland the following year, and celebrated the birth of the first of four children in 1985. Over the next 30-plus years, Darlene ran a technical writing business from their home, editing nearly a thousand theses and dissertations from colleges and universities around the country and worked three decades for a favorite psychologist among others. Meanwhile Dan began working for the City of Portland in 1983, initially as an operating engineer, then as a computer programmer.
In 2012, after the couple’s youngest child, Nathan, died, Darlene found a new purpose for her life. She became passionate about helping other parents who had lost a child to overcome the overwhelming pain of their loss. This led to her becoming involved soon after with the Portland Chapter of The Compassionate Friends (TCF). She met some of her closest friends at TCF meetings.
Darlene is survived by Dan Maddox, her husband of 35 years; a son, Aaron Maddox of Portland, and two daughters, Katie Maddox and Haley Reviere, both of Portland; as well as six siblings: Adrian Blakely and Judy Jensen of Hillsboro; Cheri Dickman of Elmira, Oregon; Valerie Hibbard of Eugene; Dan Jensen of Yuba City, California; Dave Jensen of Cameron Park, California; as well as dozens of nieces and nephews. Her youngest child, Nathan Maddox, predeceased her in 2012.
Darlene Jean Jensen was born November 4, 1955, the ninth of 13 children (and the eight daughter of nine born in a row) to her Christian parents Raymond Jensen and Nina Petersen. She lived her entire childhood in the same house on West 6th Street in Junction City, Oregon, a small farming community where her father was also a rural mail carrier for the USPS, Darlene was always very proud to have come from a large family. Their home was the place to go to if someone was looking for a playmate.
Throughout her school years Darlene found success in both academics and athletics. She also loved to type, developing a pretty good hunt-and-peck speed long before she was allowed to take a single class at school. Upon graduating from High school, Darlene took the three national, state and county scholarships she won for her secretarial skills to Merritt Davis Business College in Eugene, then put those skills to work for the CIA in Washington, D.C. After being coaxed into joining the D.C. staff of a U.S, senator from Oregon, she worked on “The Hill” for a disillusioning three-month period. By then, she had worked in that office longer than any other secretary, which was clearly a sign. Following another year living and working in the D.C. area as a legal secretary, she returned to Portland in 1976 doing the same work, eventually working several years for Kaiser Permanente.
Almost immediately upon her return to Portland, she began attending Hinson Church, became active in the church’s 300-plus career class and rededicated her life to Jesus Christ. She met Daniel Maddox during the summer of 1981 at a career class event, and they became fast friends. They married May 1, 1982, bought their current home on Franklin Street in Portland the following year, and celebrated the birth of the first of four children in 1985. Over the next 30-plus years, Darlene ran a technical writing business from their home, editing nearly a thousand theses and dissertations from colleges and universities around the country and worked three decades for a favorite psychologist among others. Meanwhile Dan began working for the City of Portland in 1983, initially as an operating engineer, then as a computer programmer.
In 2012, after the couple’s youngest child, Nathan, died, Darlene found a new purpose for her life. She became passionate about helping other parents who had lost a child to overcome the overwhelming pain of their loss. This led to her becoming involved soon after with the Portland Chapter of The Compassionate Friends (TCF). She met some of her closest friends at TCF meetings.
Darlene is survived by Dan Maddox, her husband of 35 years; a son, Aaron Maddox of Portland, and two daughters, Katie Maddox and Haley Reviere, both of Portland; as well as six siblings: Adrian Blakely and Judy Jensen of Hillsboro; Cheri Dickman of Elmira, Oregon; Valerie Hibbard of Eugene; Dan Jensen of Yuba City, California; Dave Jensen of Cameron Park, California; as well as dozens of nieces and nephews. Her youngest child, Nathan Maddox, predeceased her in 2012.
Darlene’s Story
Darlene Jean Jensen was born November 4, 1955, the ninth of 13 children (and the eight daughter of nine born in a row) to her Christian parents Raymond Jensen and Nina Petersen. She lived her entire childhood in the same house on West 6th Street in Junction City, Oregon, a small farming community where her father was also a rural mail carrier for the USPS, Darlene was always very proud to have come from a large family. Their home was the place to go to if someone was looking for a playmate.
Throughout her school years Darlene found success in both academics and athletics. She also loved to type, developing a pretty good hunt-and-peck speed long before she was allowed to take a single class at school. Upon graduating from High school, Darlene took the three national, state and county scholarships she won for her secretarial skills to Merritt Davis Business College in Eugene, then put those skills to work for the CIA in Washington, D.C. After being coaxed into joining the D.C. staff of a U.S, senator from Oregon, she worked on “The Hill” for a disillusioning three-month period. By then, she had worked in that office longer than any other secretary, which was clearly a sign. Following another year living and working in the D.C. area as a legal secretary, she returned to Portland in 1976 doing the same work, eventually working several years for Kaiser Permanente.
Almost immediately upon her return to Portland, she began attending Hinson Church, became active in the church’s 300-plus career class and rededicated her life to Jesus Christ. She met Daniel Maddox during the summer of 1981 at a career class event, and they became fast friends. They married May 1, 1982, bought their current home on Franklin Street in Portland the following year, and celebrated the birth of the first of four children in 1985. Over the next 30-plus years, Darlene ran a technical writing business from their home, editing nearly a thousand theses and dissertations from colleges and universities around the country and worked three decades for a favorite psychologist among others. Meanwhile Dan began working for the City of Portland in 1983, initially as an operating engineer, then as a computer programmer.
In 2012, after the couple’s youngest child, Nathan, died, Darlene found a new purpose for her life. She became passionate about helping other parents who had lost a child to overcome the overwhelming pain of their loss. This led to her becoming involved soon after with the Portland Chapter of The Compassionate Friends (TCF). She met some of her closest friends at TCF meetings.
Darlene is survived by Dan Maddox, her husband of 35 years; a son, Aaron Maddox of Portland, and two daughters, Katie Maddox and Haley Reviere, both of Portland; as well as six siblings: Adrian Blakely and Judy Jensen of Hillsboro; Cheri Dickman of Elmira, Oregon; Valerie Hibbard of Eugene; Dan Jensen of Yuba City, California; Dave Jensen of Cameron Park, California; as well as dozens of nieces and nephews. Her youngest child, Nathan Maddox, predeceased her in 2012.
Darlene Jean Jensen was born November 4, 1955, the ninth of 13 children (and the eight daughter of nine born in a row) to her Christian parents Raymond Jensen and Nina Petersen. She lived her entire childhood in the same house on West 6th Street in Junction City, Oregon, a small farming community where her father was also a rural mail carrier for the USPS, Darlene was always very proud to have come from a large family. Their home was the place to go to if someone was looking for a playmate.
Throughout her school years Darlene found success in both academics and athletics. She also loved to type, developing a pretty good hunt-and-peck speed long before she was allowed to take a single class at school. Upon graduating from High school, Darlene took the three national, state and county scholarships she won for her secretarial skills to Merritt Davis Business College in Eugene, then put those skills to work for the CIA in Washington, D.C. After being coaxed into joining the D.C. staff of a U.S, senator from Oregon, she worked on “The Hill” for a disillusioning three-month period. By then, she had worked in that office longer than any other secretary, which was clearly a sign. Following another year living and working in the D.C. area as a legal secretary, she returned to Portland in 1976 doing the same work, eventually working several years for Kaiser Permanente.
Almost immediately upon her return to Portland, she began attending Hinson Church, became active in the church’s 300-plus career class and rededicated her life to Jesus Christ. She met Daniel Maddox during the summer of 1981 at a career class event, and they became fast friends. They married May 1, 1982, bought their current home on Franklin Street in Portland the following year, and celebrated the birth of the first of four children in 1985. Over the next 30-plus years, Darlene ran a technical writing business from their home, editing nearly a thousand theses and dissertations from colleges and universities around the country and worked three decades for a favorite psychologist among others. Meanwhile Dan began working for the City of Portland in 1983, initially as an operating engineer, then as a computer programmer.
In 2012, after the couple’s youngest child, Nathan, died, Darlene found a new purpose for her life. She became passionate about helping other parents who had lost a child to overcome the overwhelming pain of their loss. This led to her becoming involved soon after with the Portland Chapter of The Compassionate Friends (TCF). She met some of her closest friends at TCF meetings.
Darlene is survived by Dan Maddox, her husband of 35 years; a son, Aaron Maddox of Portland, and two daughters, Katie Maddox and Haley Reviere, both of Portland; as well as six siblings: Adrian Blakely and Judy Jensen of Hillsboro; Cheri Dickman of Elmira, Oregon; Valerie Hibbard of Eugene; Dan Jensen of Yuba City, California; Dave Jensen of Cameron Park, California; as well as dozens of nieces and nephews. Her youngest child, Nathan Maddox, predeceased her in 2012.
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