William (Bill) James Boyd was a former manager (1997-2012) for the Oregon Construction Contractors Board (Dispute Resolution Department), a litigation attorney for both Portland and San Francisco, and a civil engineer for the City of Portland. He retired in 2012.

Bill was born in Gardena, California on October 13, 1947. As an Army brat, he attended Central Catholic High School in San Antonio Texas from 1961-1963. After his father retired from the army, the family moved to Cherokee, Iowa. Bill graduated from Immaculate Conception High School in 1965 and enrolled at the University of Iowa.

In 1970, Bill graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. In 1979, Bill moved to Portland, Oregon. In 1983, he earned a Juris Doctorate degree in law from Lewis and Clark Law School. In the 1980's Bill met the love of his life, Marna Tisdel. In 1994, they married and later lived in San Fransisco for 5 years. Bill enjoyed traveling with Marna and visited all seven continents and all 50 states including Washington D.C.

Bill was a devoted and enthusiastic Janeite. He discovered Jane Austen after viewing the 1995 version of Sense and Sensibility.  In 2007, Bill googled Jane Austen and found a listing for JASNA and thought, “She has a society!”

In 2007, Bill joined JASNA and has been a beloved member of our region ever since. He faithfully attended JASN AGM's (annual general meetings). Bill served as Regional Coordinator from 2009-2011 and Chair of Information/Registration when our region hosted the AMG in Portland in 2010.

Bill hosted and led discussion group meetings and co-presented at discussion group meetings. With other regional members, Bill co-led discussion group meetings on "Jane Austen's Letters: A Contest of Wit and Satire," "Liberal or Conservative Jane," “A Jane Austen Education by William Deresiewicz,” (a favorite book of Bill’s written by a male Janeite), “What Happened in 1817: The Year Jane Austen Died," and "What Happened in 1803 and in Jane Austen's Life."

Bill had such a wealth of Jane Austen knowledge and trivia that he could always be depended upon to provide enlightening comments and insights at our meetings. Bill also gave several PowerPoint presentations on Jane Austen to Multnomah County Library and its branches.

As patrons of Jane Austen, Bill and his wife, Marna frequently donated paid tickets to our region for attendance to Jane Austen plays and our annual Spring Tea; and also provided carpooling to regional meetings and events.

Bill was always on the hunt for his beloved Jane Austen in his numerous travels to England, Europe and across the U.S. including his many Volkswalks. On his Volkswalks, he found Jane at Harvard and MIT campuses. Together with his wife, Marna Tisdel, they visited libraries/bookstores to see Jane Austen editions and photograph them. They visited Jane Austen sites in England at Chawton, Bath, Lyme, and Winchester. They even attended a Jane Austen Festival at Chatsworth where Netherfield was filmed for Pride and Prejudice. For more Jane, they rented a car and did their own tour of the Southampton sites that author, Stephanie Barron wrote about in her Jane Austen Mystery Series.

In his spare time, Bill researched and was writing a Jane Austen time travel novel set in his adopted state of Iowa. Multnomah County Library granted him an access key to the Sterling Room for Writers (now called the Writers' Room Residency) where he worked on his book.

Second to Jane Austen, Bill's other favorite novelists were Georgette Heyer and Mary Balogh.

Bill's favorite magazines and journals were Persuasions and Jane Austen's Regency World.

Some of Bill's favorite research books were Jane Austen's England by Roy & Lesley Adkins; Jane Austen's Letters, collected and edited by Deirdre Le Faye; A Chronology of Jane Austen and Her Family by Deidre Le Faye; Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen by Fay Weldon; and Fashion in the Time of Jane Austen by Sarah Jane Downing.

Prior to Bill's passing, the last book he read was predictably a Jane Austen research book titled, Jane Austen's Table: Recipes Inspired by the Works of Jane Austen by Robert Tuesley Anderson.

In 2023, our region honored Bill and Marna as our 2023 Tribute Grant Honorees for their devotion to Jane Austen and their many years of service to our region.

Bill was also a longtime member of Romance Writers of America and the local chapter, Rose City Romance Writers. He joined in 2009 and attended monthly meetings and writing events such as workshops, conferences, and book signings. He also judged the annual Golden Rose Contest for unpublished writers. Bill's other literary memberships include Regency Fiction Writers and Historical Novel Society.

Bill was also a movie and film buff and frequently watched Turner Classics and the Hallmark Channel. He watched all the Academy Award nominated films and held an annual gathering at his home to view the Awards in which no one was allowed to talk until after it concluded.

Bill loved the opera, especially Carmen. He also enjoyed classical music and owned a massive music collection.

Bill maintained strong ties to Iowa and continued to travel back there with visits to Iowa City, Cherokee, and Dubuque. He always rooted for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes football team. He and Marna frequently attended local Iowa Hawkeyes bars and fan watch parties to view his beloved football game.

Bill had open heart surgery in 2018 and never fully recovered. Yet, he was joyful despite his memory issues.

The final JASNA meetings that Bill attended in person were the July-September-November 2023 meetings. He  also attended our very first hybrid meeting in February 2024 from his home. 

On June 4, 2024, Bill died following a short illness and a brief hospitalization for Oglivie Syndrome.  He was 76 years old and passed away in hospice at his home at Russellville Park with his beloved wife, Marna, at his side.

Bill is survived by his wife, Marna; his brother, Mike; his sister, Irene; numerous nieces and nephews; and all his JASNA and writing friends who miss him dearly and who are inspired by his passions and dedication to Jane Austen.  

Charitable donations can be made to the Jane Austen Society of North America and Multnomah County Library in memory of William (Bill) Boyd.

Vonnie Alto
Regional Coordinator

Coming soon!

There is still time to register for the Spring Tea! If paying after the registration deadline, please email your reservation to [email protected].

• 1 HOUR Regency Era MAGIC SHOW followed by a Q & A.
  
• Emporium tag sale of Regency era and historical related items including books (fiction and nonfiction).
• Pre-launch book of Janite Scholar, Collins Hemingway!
• Many of us will dress in Regency attire. Costumes are encouraged but not required.
• Potluck dining with tea and real lemonade.

Our annual Spring Tea is coming soon!  Registration with details forthcoming!  Check back on March 1st for its online reveal!

Spring Tea 2023
Guest Presenters:  Nancy Gallagher and Janet Johnson
Topic: The Battle of Prague (an interactive audience performance concert)
By Vonnie Alto, Secretary

Guest presenters Nancy Gallagher (director/narrator) and Janet Johnson (piano) visited our region on Sunday, May 21st for a fun, action-filled, interactive audience performance of The Battle of Prague. Hosted by longtime members Nan Williams and her husband David at the beautiful Fairway Village Club House in Washington State. There we held our Spring Tea buffet and emporium of finely curated Jane Austen books and memorabilia of the Regency era. Filmed by another longtime JASNA member, Nelson Bridwell utilizing the iphone of our Regional Coordinator, Linda Olson.

Spring Tea 2023
Guest Presenters:  Nancy Gallagher and Janet Johnson
Topic: The Battle of Prague (an interactive audience performance concert)
By Vonnie Alto, Secretary

On May 21st, our region finally held our first in-person meeting since the pandemic. Longtime member, Marna Tisdel coordinated our Spring Tea. Once again, we gathered at the beautiful Fairway Village Club House in Washington State hosted by residents and longtime members Nan Williams and her husband David. Regional Coordinator, Linda Olson decorated our tables with floral straw hats which we donated to the Hillsboro Art Regional Theater (HART).
 
We lunched on cucumber and egg sandwiches, salads, fresh fruit, and a variety of culinary sweets, with tea and lemonade.

Our annual fundraiser provided an emporium of Jane Austen books and merchandise with proceeds towards our general fund. Regional philanthropists who donated to our emporium include current members (Linda Olson, Margaret Christmann, Johann Graham, Frank McClanahan & Mary Margaret Benson).and late Janeites: Mary Camman and Deborah (Debbie) Eley.
    
Amid our festivities, Tribute Grant creator and former Regional Coordinator, Kim Higgins and Secretary, Vonnie Alto announced our 2023 Tribute Grant recipient, Cynthia Eckersley. Each year we award a grant of     1,500 to a member who has never attended the AGM before for registration, classes, hotel room, and airline flight.  Cynthia is a new member and a retired social worker whose winning entry reminded us of our love for Jane Austen and all things British. Her favorite novel is Pride and Prejudice. Cynthia hopes to learn more about Jane Austen while sharing in celebrating her at the AGM. 

We also announced our Tribute Grand honorees: Bill Boyd and Marna Tisdel (in absentia) for their devotion to Jane Austen and nearly 20 years of service to our region. Congratulations!
 
A JASNA grant made it possible for Nancy Gallagher (California Southwest Region) and Janet Johnson (Wisconsin Region) to lead us in recreating an interactive audience performance of The Battle of Prague, regularly performed for entertainment by Jane Austen and her family. It's based on the 1757 Battle of Prague in which the Kingdom of Prussia battled the Habsburg Monarchy.
 
Nancy discussed the history of the actual battle, the connection to the Austen family, and provided biographical information about the composer, Frantisek Kotzwara (1730 - 1791) and the sonata piece (first published in 1788) which was popular in both Great Britain and America during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Janet accompanied the narration and mock battle by playing the famous piece on the piano (which is part of Jane Austen’s personal music collection) while Nancy called out performance directives for a fun action-filled audience participatory concert.

Our members battled each other with 10 types of simulated equipment: We waved red flags and purple ones to signal the arrival of the Prussian and Austrian troops, dueled each other with toy swords in the two corresponding colors, popped balloons for cannons, blew toy bugles ad trumpets, shot flying rubber pellets with Nerf guns, rode blown-up horses into battle, clapped coconut shells for horse’s hooves, wore pieces of sheets stained with dye for the wounded or waived them to signal help, waved flags again for the arrival of more troops, and then rang bells to conclude the end as we all sang “God Save the King.” A jovial time was had by all as we recreated the famous battle.

Nelson Bridwell filmed it for Youtube and Vonnie Alto photographed it taking over 145 photos of our event.

Thank you Nancy Gallagher and Janet Johnson for leading us in this fun and stirring interactive audience performance concert of The Battle of Prague!

Note: There's 146 photos uploaded from the Spring Tea so please scroll through them SLOWLY to see them all.

Bill Boyd and Marna Tisdel  
Regional Member Profile
By Vonnie Alto, Secretary

Our JASNA Oregon & SW Washington Region is thrilled that our members, Bill Boyd and Marna Tisdel are our 2023 Tribute Grant Honorees!             

William (Bill) Boyd is a retired construction litigation attorney for the state of Oregon Construction Contractor's Board and a former civil engineer for the City of Portland. Bill a devoted and enthusiastic Janeite. He discovered Jane Austen after viewing the 1995 version of Sense and Sensibility. In 2007, he joined JASNA. He has been a JASNA member of our region for nearly 20 years and faithfully attended AGM's. Bill served as Regional Coordinator from 2009-2011 and Chair of Information/Registration when our region hosted the AMG in Portland in 2010. Bill hosted and led discussion group meetings and co-presented at discussion group meetings. With other regional members, Bill co-led discussion group meetings on "Jane Austen's Letters: A Contest of Wit and Satire," "Liberal or Conservative Jane," “A Jane Austen Education by William Deresiewicz,” (a favorite book of Bill’s written by a male Janeite), “What Happened in 1817: The Year Jane Austen Died," and "What Happened in 1803 and in Jane Austen's Life." Bill has such a wealth of Jane Austen knowledge and trivia that he could always be depended upon to provide enlightening comments and insights at our meetings. Bill also gave several PowerPoint presentations on Jane Austen to Multnomah County Library and its branches. Bill was always on the hunt for his beloved Jane Austen in his numerous travels to England, Europe and across the U.S. including his many Volkswalks. On his Volkswalks, he found Jane at Harvard and MIT campuses. Together with his wife, Marna Tisdel, they visited libraries/bookstores to see Jane Austen editions and photograph them. They visited Jane Austen sites in England at Chawton, Bath, Lyme, and Winchester. They even attended a Jane Austen Festival at Chatsworth where Netherfield was filmed for Pride and Prejudice. In his spare time, Bill is researching and writing a Jane Austen time travel novel.   

Marna Tisdel is a retired middle school teacher for the Community Transitional School (for at risk children of homeless families) where she worked for 20 years. She is also a former catalog librarian at Fort Vancouver Library. Marna is a devoted Janeite and a patron of Jane Austen in the arts. She has always known about Jane Austen from reading her in high school and college, then becoming more interested in her through her husband, Bill Boyd. Marna joined JASNA in 2007 with Bill, and has been a JASNA member of our region for nearly 20 years. Marna attended AGM's as a companion with Bill. Marna supports our region in a myriad of ways. She served as Secretary and assisted Bill when he served as Regional Coordinator from 2009-2011 and Chair of Information/Registration when our region hosted the AGM in Portland in 2010. Marna is exceedingly helpful and gracious and faithfully attends our regional meetings and actively participates in discussions providing insightful comments. Marna can always be counted on to help our region flourish. Together with Bill, she hosted numerous discussion group meetings at their home. As patrons of Jane, Marna and Bill donated paid tickets to our region for attendance to Jane Austen plays and provides carpooling to regional meetings and events. Marna also provided scheduling information for group attendance at events such as Sense and Sensibility at the 2018 Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland. In 2023, Marna, researched possible venues for our Battle of Prague performance. A Jane Austen fan, Marna traveled with Bill to England and Europe and across the U.S. including their many Volkswalks looking for Jane. They visited libraries/bookstores to see Jane Austen editions and photographed them. They visited Jane Austen sites in England at Chawton, Bath, Lyme, and Winchester. They even attended a Jane Austen Festival at Chatsworth where Netherfield was filmed for Pride and Prejudice. For more Jane, they rented a car and did their own tour of the Southampton sites that author, Stephanie Barron wrote about in her Jane Austen Mystery Series. On Marna's continued travels in the U.S. and abroad, she looks for Jane Austen wherever she goes.

To honor Bill and Marna, we photographed them at their new home in the library at Russellville Park.  Congratulations Bill and Marna! We appreciate your many years of devotion to our Oregon/SW Washington Region!      

Spring Tea 2022
Speaker: Elizabeth Raisanen
Topic:Mary Russell Mitford and Jane Austen: “Nearly Neighbors: Mary Russell Mitford and Jane Austen Through The Lens of the Digital Humanities Project.”​​
Hosted via Zoom by Marcia Hamley (Former Co-Region Coordinator)
By Vonnie Alto, Secretary
 
We held our annual Spring Tea on May 1st, 2020 via zoom. Marcia Hamley introduced our speaker and moderated the event. Our guest of honor was Elizabeth Raisanen, Ph.D, who is an Assistant Dean and instructor of literature and undergraduate research in the Robert D. Clark Honors College at the University of Oregon where she is a specialist in women writers of the British Romantic era with research interests in eighteenth and nineteenth-century British literature, Romantic drama, and Digital Humanities.
 
Digital Humanities applies computational methods and practices to the study of literature and the arts. It allows us to see connections and to ask questions about those materials that we might not know to ask without digitalization.
 
Raisanen is a founding editor of The Digital Mitford <https://digitalmitford.org/> which originated in April 2013 at the British Women’s Writer’s Conference. Digital Mitford is a free comprehensive online scholarly archive of the works of Mary Russell Mitford who was a contemporary of Jane Austen.
 
The Digital Mitford is a master site index of people, places, and things that populated Mitford’s world. . Raisanen edits Mitford’s writings and codes her texts. She teaches how to transcribe, code, and conduct research on Mitford’s writings. Raisanen is also the drama section editor for the project.
 
Raisanen presented on “Nearly Neighbors: Mary Russell Mitford and Jane Austen Through The Lens of the Digital Humanities Project.”​​  Like Jane Austen, Mitford shared the same birthday but was 12 years her junior. Although they were nearly neighbors as they shared a geographical proximity to each other, they never met or corresponded despite Mitford’s admiration of Jane.
 
Mitford defies categorization as she was a prolific writer of both the Romantic and Victorian eras--a novelist, poet, dramatist, a prose stylist of pastoral idylls, writer of short domestic fiction, a diarist, and an epistoler of over 2,000 letters (much of it which hasn’t yet been edited). Although forgotten due to her fragmented literary identity, Mitford was a literary celebrity known in her time for Our Village based upon her life in Three Mile Cross in Berkshire where readers from all over the world visited to find its many locations.   
 
We also received a crash course on XML coding with examples of XML tags as it relates to Mitford’s life to see how text becomes searchable. We learned that the British Romantic period is the start of computer coding and that it takes a digital village to bring women writers out of obscurity.

Thank you, Elizabeth Raisanen for showing us Mary Russell Mitford's life and introducing us to the Digital Mitford!