Tom Bedell, who worked 24 years at Oregon State University and served as chairman of the Oregon Soil and Water Conservation Commission and president of the Society of Range Management and was a member of the Oregon State Board of Agriculture for six years, died July 3.

He was 80.

Bedell's stint at Oregon State University included 17 years as the extension service's rangeland resources specialist.

Bedell, who lived on a small poultry farm, obtained a bachelor's degree in animal husbandry and a master's degree in range management from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. He obtained a Ph.D. from OSU in 1966.

Bedell is survived by his wife, Gretchen Bencene, and family Shelley Bedell, Kristin Bedell and Vincent DePillis, Robin and Jack McWalters and eight grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at the Unitarian Fellowship Hall, 2945 NW Circle Blvd., Corvallis, Ore., at 1 p.m. July 21.

--Mitch Lies

For more information: http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ncs/lifeatosu/2012/memorial-service-announced-for-thomas-bedell-former-extension-specialist/