Darwin Eldon Grimm

December 7, 1932 - December 26, 2022

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I know obituaries are supposed to be about that person. That person who is no longer physically in our lives, and never will be again. But the life we are honoring would never have happened without the presence and unwavering support of his beloved wife, Gwen Grimm, who went to her heavenly reward 17 months prior in May, 2021. Gwen envelops every accomplishment Darwin achieved in his extraordinary and long life.

He started his life, one he describes as being extremely blessed by God, in Weippe, Idaho. His family nicknamed him “Cub” because he was chubby like a baby cub bear. The name stuck with him throughout his life. His dad was a barber and his mom a housewife. In his pre-teen and teen years, the family, which included his younger brother, Ron, lived in Lewiston, Idaho, the place his heart still considered home. He was a self-described obnoxious, foul-mouthed, liar, cheater and selfish person with a bad temper and negative attitude. Sports were his religion and he excelled at basketball, baseball and track. Little did he realize his junior year in high school, 1950, was to be the pivotal year that would change the trajectory of his life. Two things occurred:  It was the first time he laid eyes on Gwen Nichols, a freshman and “the most beautiful girl I had ever seen”, and second, he became a Christian, which changed him profoundly.

During his senior year of high school, because of his devotion to God, he felt called to become a minister. He knew his purpose in life was to inspire, motivate and encourage others to experience the richness and rewarding blessings God has promised those who will trust and obey His word and His will. After high school he worked as a lumber grader in Lewiston for 1-1/2 years, and during that time, on June 2, 1953 he and Gwen married, two days after she graduated from high school. Together they shared a life devoted to God for 68 years.

He started preparing for the ministry in 1954 by attending George Fox College (now University) in Newberg, Oregon on a sports scholarship. During his four years at GFC he again excelled at basketball, baseball and track, and was selected as one of the first inductees into George Fox’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.

After graduation from GFC he worked in his father’s barber shop in Lewiston, Idaho until 1962, when he and the family moved to Jennings Lodge, Oregon so Darwin could attend Western Evangelical Seminary to study to become a minister.  Having a family to feed, he worked on the dock at Garrett Freightlines full time while attending WES.

After graduating from WES he joined the Church of the Nazarene as a minister and was known as a church builder. He doubled or tripled every Oregon church he pastored:  Grand Ronde, Prineville, West Moreland and finally Sheridan. To every church he also brought along his extensive collection of free weights and created a gym. While sports and weightlifting dominated his free time, his ministry for God was No. 1, and he used his love of sports as an outreach to his church congregations and communities by coaching and training. At Grand Ronde he created the Christian Olympics and six Oregon Nazarene churches competed in numerous sporting events, as well as singing and bible quizzing. While in Prineville he trained a power lifting team of guys and gals and organized Pacific Northwest-wide power lifting meets. He continued his sports and fitness outreach ministry at West Moreland Church of the Nazarene. While at Sheridan Church of the Nazarene, in additional to being their full-time pastor and maintaining a fitness center, he trained Sheridan High School track athletes thanks to Barb Justin, after she saw him doing his own track training at the high school. In Sheridan he was known as the “Running Rev”.

After he retired from the ministry, he devoted more time to competing in national senior adult track meets in eight states from Canada to California. His diligent training paid off with over 300 medals, 75% of those being 1st place medals. He also umpired and refereed school and community softball and basketball games in the Willamette Valley. Not many 80 year olds choose to run up and down a basketball court filled with middle schoolers. His coaching reputation also led him to training track athletes at the Sheridan Delphian School. He says his first year there, at age 85, was the most thrilling, exciting, successful track coaching season of his life. To his church and sports successes, he gave all the glory to God.

He is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Gwen, and brother, Ron. He is survived by his son, Gary, daughter, Janice McGinty (Davis), one grandson, Lee and a 90 pound pitbull.

While we deeply mourn his loss, it is difficult to also not feel joy, as if the two feelings are mixed together like a recipe - difficult to separate the flour from the sugar.  He is now with his Lord and Savior and the love of his life, Gwen.   

There will be a viewing at the West Valley Funeral Home on January 2, 2023 from 11:00am till 3:00pm. A Memorial Service will be held later in the year on June 2, 2023 at Green Crest Memorial Park in Sheridan, Oregon at 11:00 am.

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