Astoria

July 11, 1956 — Jan. 30, 2020

Jeffry Ralph Riekkola, 63, of Astoria, Oregon, passed away unexpectedly the morning of Jan. 30, 2020, 13 days after the passing of his beloved wife of 15 years. He died of natural causes.

Jeff was born on July 11, 1956 in Astoria, Oregon, to Archie and Dorothy Riekkola. He attended Astoria schools, working on the family farm as a boy, and at the Astoria Plywood Mill after graduating from Astoria High School in 1974.

Jeff was a longtime log trucker of 40 years, who loved what he did. He will always be remembered as a tenacious driver, trying to figure out how to get in one more load before the end of the day. He also loved fishing, duck hunting, bowling and Oregon’s timber history. He had compassion for animals, and loved his Chesapeake Bay retrievers. Although Jeff was a bit rough around the edges, it was part of his charm. He will be dearly missed by those who loved and knew him.

Jeff is survived by his daughter, Kristen Patton (husband Brad Patton), of Spring Creek, Nevada; son Brian Riekkola (wife Chelsea Riekkola), of Anchorage, Alaska; three grandsons, Dylan Patton, Ethan Patton and Sven Riekkola; stepchildren Mark Tornquist, Bryan Tornquist, Brandy Tornquist, Kelly Adele, Kevin Maakestad, Stacy McGraw and Meagan Maakestad; siblings Ben Riekkola, Dave Riekkola and Mary Nauha; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Jeff is preceded in death by his parents, Archie and Dorothy Riekkola; his brother, Jon Riekkola; and the love of his life, his wife, Robin Riekkola.

A parade of truckers will be held in his memory on Saturday on Oregon Highway 202, immediately followed by a celebration of life at Coastline Christian Fellowship in Olney at 2 p.m. Please arrive at the church early for parking and best viewing of the parade. Many thanks to J. M. Browning, his employer of the last 20 years, for their help in coordinating the event, and to all those in the timber industry who showed Jeff such great respect and enjoyed his friendship over the years.

Ocean View Cremation & Burial Service of Astoria is in charge of the arrangements. An online guest book is available at oceanviewastoria.com