[h=1]Ian M. Tawney[/h]Sgt. Ian M. Tawney died on October 16, 2010, in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Ian was born on December 3, 1984 in Salem, Oregon the son of John and Theda Smith Chandler Tawney.
He grew up in Dallas and graduated from Dallas High School in 2003. Ian married Ashley Stevenson on July 30, 2005 in La Jolla, California.
Ian enlisted in the Marine Corps on March 14, 2005. He became a squad leader, and a Marine Corps firearms and martial arts instructor. This was his fifth deployment overseas.
Ian always maintained close ties to his roots in the small town of Dallas, but even from an early age, he loved to explore.
His strong sense of independence manifested itself when he organized a yearlong trip to Argentina at age 15. And his enthusiasm for life became evident when he returned, spouting fluent Spanish.
“As a very young child, he had a very strong sense of self and was very decisive about what he wanted to do with his life,” said his mother, Theda.
So when Ian, 25, joined the Corps five years ago, his work ethic quickly distinguished him, and he won several awards.
But his life was cut short Oct. 16 when he was conducting combat operations and killed when an improvised explosive device blew up in Afghanistan’s Helmand province.
Friends and family remember Ian as a devoted husband, a loyal friend and an avid outdoorsman.
“It’s hard when you’ve lost somebody and you try to define who they were,” said his father, John Tawney.
Ian was soon to be a father himself. His wife, Ashley, gave birth to a baby girl in January.
“He was honored to be a member of the Marine Corps,” his father said. Among Ian’s numerous awards are the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Iraq Campaign Medal and Navy Unit Commendation.
“Even though he didn’t like to call attention to himself, he was a natural leader,” his mother said.
Ian fought in Iraq in 2007. He was the 26th Oregonian to die in the Afghanistan conflict.
Ian was a top student in squad leader school, and he graduated as the honor man of his class, his father said. He had wanted to make the Marines his career.
His wife described him as outgoing and full of life. He loved hunting, snowboarding and riding motorcycles.
“He loved to laugh,” Ashley Tawney said. The two met in preschool and stayed friends throughout high school. Finally, when both of them were working at a retirement facility, they began dating. Ian was excited about the arrival of their daughter.
“It’s going to be a real blessing to have a part of him through her,” Theda Tawney said.
Ian had attended the First Presbyterian Church and had a strong Christian Faith. He enjoyed his pets, Quincy his dog and Bobby and Tucker his cats. He loved watching football and was an avid Beaver Fan. He also liked watching movies. Ian was a devoted husband, a loyal friend and an avid outdoorsman. He loved hunting, snowboarding and riding motorcycles.
Among the awards he received are the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Iraq Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Humanitarian, and Navy Unit Commendation. He graduated at the top of his Squad Leader course and was recognized as the class Honor Man.
In addition to his parents and his wife, Ian is survived by his brothers, Shayne Chandler and Jacob Tawney, and sisters Stacy Barham, Karin Lamberton and Karla Cowan; and his grandmothers, Leona Smith and Kathryn Tawney.
A Funeral with full military honors took place at 11 a.m. Saturday, October 23, 2010, at Faith Evangelical Free Church in Dallas, Ore. A procession followed to the Dallas Cemetery with the assistance of the Patriot Guard Riders.
“He just knew what he wanted in his life, and he went for it,” his mother said. “He was a man of great integrity.”
He grew up in Dallas and graduated from Dallas High School in 2003. Ian married Ashley Stevenson on July 30, 2005 in La Jolla, California.
Ian enlisted in the Marine Corps on March 14, 2005. He became a squad leader, and a Marine Corps firearms and martial arts instructor. This was his fifth deployment overseas.
Ian always maintained close ties to his roots in the small town of Dallas, but even from an early age, he loved to explore.
His strong sense of independence manifested itself when he organized a yearlong trip to Argentina at age 15. And his enthusiasm for life became evident when he returned, spouting fluent Spanish.
“As a very young child, he had a very strong sense of self and was very decisive about what he wanted to do with his life,” said his mother, Theda.
So when Ian, 25, joined the Corps five years ago, his work ethic quickly distinguished him, and he won several awards.
But his life was cut short Oct. 16 when he was conducting combat operations and killed when an improvised explosive device blew up in Afghanistan’s Helmand province.
Friends and family remember Ian as a devoted husband, a loyal friend and an avid outdoorsman.
“It’s hard when you’ve lost somebody and you try to define who they were,” said his father, John Tawney.
Ian was soon to be a father himself. His wife, Ashley, gave birth to a baby girl in January.
“He was honored to be a member of the Marine Corps,” his father said. Among Ian’s numerous awards are the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Iraq Campaign Medal and Navy Unit Commendation.
“Even though he didn’t like to call attention to himself, he was a natural leader,” his mother said.
Ian fought in Iraq in 2007. He was the 26th Oregonian to die in the Afghanistan conflict.
Ian was a top student in squad leader school, and he graduated as the honor man of his class, his father said. He had wanted to make the Marines his career.
His wife described him as outgoing and full of life. He loved hunting, snowboarding and riding motorcycles.
“He loved to laugh,” Ashley Tawney said. The two met in preschool and stayed friends throughout high school. Finally, when both of them were working at a retirement facility, they began dating. Ian was excited about the arrival of their daughter.
“It’s going to be a real blessing to have a part of him through her,” Theda Tawney said.
Ian had attended the First Presbyterian Church and had a strong Christian Faith. He enjoyed his pets, Quincy his dog and Bobby and Tucker his cats. He loved watching football and was an avid Beaver Fan. He also liked watching movies. Ian was a devoted husband, a loyal friend and an avid outdoorsman. He loved hunting, snowboarding and riding motorcycles.
Among the awards he received are the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Iraq Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Humanitarian, and Navy Unit Commendation. He graduated at the top of his Squad Leader course and was recognized as the class Honor Man.
In addition to his parents and his wife, Ian is survived by his brothers, Shayne Chandler and Jacob Tawney, and sisters Stacy Barham, Karin Lamberton and Karla Cowan; and his grandmothers, Leona Smith and Kathryn Tawney.
A Funeral with full military honors took place at 11 a.m. Saturday, October 23, 2010, at Faith Evangelical Free Church in Dallas, Ore. A procession followed to the Dallas Cemetery with the assistance of the Patriot Guard Riders.
“He just knew what he wanted in his life, and he went for it,” his mother said. “He was a man of great integrity.”
