Troy Ferguson, who worked for U.S. Rep. Greg Walden and United Way of Jackson County, remembered for his devotion to his community

By James Sloan, Rogue Valley Times

With the sudden death of community servant Troy Ferguson earlier this month, many in Southern Oregon are remembering the work he did throughout his life to benefit those in need in the Rogue Valley.

A Marine Corps veteran, community services representative with former U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, and campaign and new media director for United Way of Jackson County, Ferguson dedicated a significant portion of his life to serving his community. He was 54 when he died April 14.

“I don’t think his community work and his personal life were different; he lived a life of service completely, totally as a human being,” said Dee Anne Everson, executive director of United Way of Jackson County and a close friend and colleague of Ferguson. “He was compassionate, caring and wise and funny, and he did all of that in service to everyone, including our unhoused neighbors, veterans, fellow Rotarians; it’s just who he was.”

After serving in the Marines during the 1980s and ’90s, Ferguson graduated from Southern Oregon University in 2006 with a communications degree.

For 16 years, he worked for Walden, an Oregon Republican whose 2nd Congressional District encompassed the Rogue Valley. Ferguson connected with local nonprofits and advocacy organizations, worked to hear the problems and challenges concerning Southern Oregon, and looked out for veterans in the area.

During that time, Ferguson forged relationships with community leaders and organizers such as Becky Snyder, current board president of the local United Way chapter.

“I met him when he worked for Walden’s office … In my opinion, just about the best compliment you can give someone is that they’re genuine, and he was an extremely genuine guy,” Snyder said.

Another community leader Ferguson crossed paths with during that time was former three-time state representative, former Medford mayor and current president of the Rotary Club of Medford, Al Densmore.

“I got acquainted with him and his office … He was always most helpful and certainly courteous, kind and friendly and had a very good sense of humor,” Densmore said. “I just think that he had great empathy for the needs of the people, whether they were young or old, or rich or poor, or of color or not of color.”

Ferguson and Densmore shared the experience of being military veterans, as well.

Ferguson’s passing, Densmore said, “leaves a big hole.” The current political climate, when it’s already difficult “to get people to work together on projects that benefit the entire community without feeling like you’re walking on eggshells,” is “going to be a lot harder without people like Troy around,” he said.

A former member of the Rotary Club of Ashland Lithia Springs, Ferguson often collaborated with Densmore for numerous community-centered projects and programs.

“Most frequently I interacted with him as a Rotarian with their club’s annual CrabFest in Ashland. It was a very outstanding event that helped kids’ programs,” Densmore said.

Ferguson made a major impact for veterans in the Rogue Valley through his work with Walden, United Way and other organizations.

“With Walden, we were both helping vets approach the congressman on things with the (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs) or military service records and problems and getting this, that or the other thing,” said John Howard, a colleague from Walden’s office and a good friend of Ferguson.

Ferguson, Howard and a group of local veterans started a weekly get-together, typically at Porters in Medford, to catch up with friends with shared experiences.

The weekly meet-up is “a way to keep in touch with what we spent a significant portion of lives doing with guys who know what we’re talking about; it’s therapeutic,” Howard said. “As a matter of fact, we met last night at Porters and raised a glass to Troy.”

In 2017, Ferguson joined United Way as the nonprofit’s campaign and new media director.

“He applied at 11:59 p.m., one minute before the deadline,” Everson said of Ferguson applying for the position. “He was a funny guy, he didn’t have a huge ego and he was pretty sure we wouldn’t pick him.”

Ferguson made an immediate impact for United Way of Jackson County.

“He put us on the social media map, he built a strong Facebook following and he was the person responsible for all of that,” Everson said. “People engaged with us because of his work, and he also helped us to raise millions of dollars in the last seven years.”

Brandon Thoms, formerly of United Way and currently operations and program director for Rogue Valley Habitat for Humanity, said, “I first met Troy when he came over to work with United Way, and I was immediately impressed … He didn’t have to be loudest to get his point across, he knew just what to say at the right moment.”

Outside of his community work, Ferguson was an avid reader and family man.

“He was a salt-of-the-earth guy, a voracious reader and loved to argue politics … He loved reading about history and politics and loved to learn about the universe and the cosmos,” Everson said.

“I think the biggest thing I learned from him was how much he loved his family; he loved his wife and kids so much,” she added.

People who knew Ferguson said his legacy and commitment to the community will live on through the relationships he built and the continued efforts of his colleagues and friends to work for the greater good of the Rogue Valley and beyond.

“Troy had an incredible ability to engender cooperation and respect for a common purpose,” Densmore said, “and I think whenever someone like that is lost to us way too soon, it hurts a lot.”

The first of three funeral services for Ferguson was held Tuesday, April 23, at Litwiller-Simonsen Funeral Home in Ashland. 

Another will be held from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, April 26, at First Baptist Church of Ashland, and the final service will be held from 2 to 2:30 p.m. Friday, April 26, at Eagle Point National Cemetery.

For more information, visit litwillersimonsen.com/obituaries/Troy-Ferguson?obId=31202686.
Reach reporter James Sloan at [email protected]. This story first appeared in the Rogue Valley Times.