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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
House Concurrent Resolution 13
Sponsored by Representative HARTMAN; Representative BOWMAN, Senator MEEK
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure as introduced.The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: Honors the life and memory of Ralph Groener. (Flesch Readability Score: 71.8).
In memoriam: Former state Representative Theodore Ralph Groener, 1941-2022.
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Whereas Theodore Ralph Groener was born on December 25, 1941, in Oregon City, Oregon, to
George Groner and Mary (McKee) Groner; and
Whereas later in life, along with several other family members, Ralph changed his name from
Groner to Groener to more accurately reflect the family’s German ancestry; and
Whereas after graduating from West Linn High School in 1960, Ralph Groener served his coun-
try with honor and distinction for four years in the United States Air Force (USAF); and
Whereas Ralph Groener was awarded the Airman’s Medal—the USAF’s highest noncombat
award for heroism—after he risked his life to rescue three people from drowning after a boating
accident;and
Whereas Ralph Groener attended Portland Community College and earned a bachelor’s degree
from the University of Oregon in 1969, remaining an avid Ducks fan for the rest of his life; and
Whereas while in college, Ralph Groener worked part-time at a local grocery store, and he be-
came a member of the retail clerks union; and
Whereas after graduating from college, Ralph Groener worked as a community organizer during
the national War on Poverty, taking his first steps on a lifelong journey spent fighting for the
underprivileged and for working families; and
Whereas Ralph Groener followed in the footsteps of his uncle, Oregon state Senator Richard
Groener, and embarked on a lifelong career involving politics; and
Whereas Ralph Groener was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 1972, where he
served two very productive terms; and
Whereas in 1973, Ralph Groener was an original cosponsor of the first gay rights legislation to
be introduced in the nation; and
Whereas Ralph Groener was instrumental in the passage of Senate Bill 100 (1973), Oregon’s
landmark land conservation legislation, serving as the bill’s carrier on the House floor; and
Whereas following his legislative service, Ralph Groener was elected Clackamas County com-
missioner, and he served two four-year terms on the commission; and
Whereas in 1978, Ralph Groener was defeated in his electoral bid to become Commissioner of
the Bureau of Labor and Industries; and
Whereas Ralph Groener served on the board of Clackamas Community College from 1971 to
1983;and
NOTE:Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 3989 HCR13
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Whereas in 1990, Ralph Groener began a 30-year career as a political coordinator and lobbyist
for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); and
Whereas Ralph Groener and his long-time colleague Mary Botkin were twice voted as the most
effective lobby team by the Capitol Club of Oregon; and
Whereas for three decades, Ralph Groener was a beloved figure at the State Capitol and within
AFSCME, known for his warmth and talkativeness; and
Whereas Ralph Groener was widely respected for his sharp political mind and strategic acumen,
but he was also legendary for his huge laugh and incredible sense of humor; and
Whereas Ralph Groener retired from AFSCME in 2018, but he continued his passionate advo-
cacy for the causes he believed in; and
Whereas three times in his life Ralph Groener acted with great courage and decisiveness at
crime scenes to foil perpetrators and save victims, each time earning the Oregon State Sheriffs’
Association Award for Valor; and
Whereas Ralph Groener’s remarkable career was marked by dozens of other awards and honors;
and
Whereas Ralph Groener passed away on June 1, 2022; and
Whereas Ralph Groener was survived by his beloved wife of 55 years, Sharon; his daughter,
Hilary; his son, Chris; his granddaughter, Cassidy Hedger; his great-grandsons, Colton Lee Hedger
and Cayden Theodore Hedger; and many other family members, friends and colleagues who miss him
dearly;and
Whereas Ralph Groener will be forever remembered for his lifetime of dedicated public service
and for the profound and lasting impact he had on the people of the State of Oregon; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Legislative Assembly of the State of Oregon:
That we, the members of the Eighty-third Legislative Assembly, celebrate the life and accom-
plishments of Theodore Ralph Groener, and we recognize and honor his contributions to the people
of this state; and be it further
Resolved, That a copy of this resolution shall be presented to the family of Ralph Groener as
an expression of our sympathy and condolences.
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