8
SEP/OCT 2019
GET2KNOW|
ART VINALL
BY NEIL KORN
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ART VINALL
We profiled Art Vinall as our Get 2 Know in June
2017 in our former BendOr Magazine. Art is the
only person to ever get a second Get 2 Know. The
reason? Art turned 101 on September 16th. Art
was born in 1918, to put that into perspective, this
was two months before the end of WWI and Wood-
row Wilson was president (seventeen presidents
have come and gone since).
At over 101 years young, Art still walks Pilot Butte
every other day. Although he is only walking halfway
up these days he never misses his walk even in the
winter. Art still travels the world, he has gone to
Europe four out of the last six years each time for
a month. He paints, and builds elaborate wooden
horses that can be seen in the Bend downtown
parking garage. He passed his private pilot license,
and skis at Mt Bachelor (although last winter’s
attempt didn’t go so well). What makes the story
about Art’s life so amazing, is that he had and defeated stage three lung cancer at
92 year of age.
Art grew up on a corn farm in Central Iowa. He rode a pony a mile and a half to
school each morning. On winter days when the snow was too deep, he would just
stay home. At the one room school house there was a barn where Art would leave
the pony all day until he was ready to go home. Once in High School he and other
kids were driven because the pony could not make the ten mile trip, plus Art’s legs
were now too long and would drag on the ground.
Art Vinall attended the University of Iowa and Iowa City College. When WWII broke
out he joined the Navy. After WWII, Art worked for TWA, then moved to Saratoga
Springs, NY. In New York art worked for the State of New York for thirty five years.
It was in NY where Art learned to ski at West Mountain, Whiteface, Gore, and in
Vermont at Bromley, and Killington. Art retired at 68 to Daytona Beach Florida. In
Florida, Art missed out on 14 years of skiing, but when his wife passed away he
looked for a different place to live. Art’s daughter and son-in-law, Vicki and Terry,
were living in Bend so he ended up moving to Oregon.
In Bend, Art took up skiing again. He was a little rusty, so it took him a while to get
his turns back. Once in his 90’s Art would only ski a few days a season on nice
warm sunny days. Art skied only once last winter at 100 years of age but it didn’t go
so well. His balance on skis just isn’t what it used to be. Art will stick to walking for
the winter of 2019-20.
At 101, Art is still a world traveler. He loves Europe, and in his opinion Italy wins out
for the best food and scenery. When Art travels it’s with Vicki and Terry and always
a month long. They have been to Spain, France, Sardinia, Malta, Sicily, Rome, Ter-
molina, Venice, Manarola, and the Greek Isles just to name a few (his new favorite
Santorini, Greece). Art takes photos of his favorite places and when he returns
home paints them in large murals.
Each September the Pilot Butte Challenge takes place; it’s a non-competitive run/
walk up to the summit for food, beer and awards. There is even an award given out
each year in Art’s name. Art was the first recipient when he beat cancer.
When Art was diagnosed with cancer he decided to write a book. The book is
named, “How I Chose to Live My Life” (A Memoir of Sorts). The book was a per-
sonal account of his life that helped him deal with chemotherapy and recovery.
Art’s motto is, “I truly believe the best is yet to come”, 101 here he comes!
“I TRULY BELIEVE
THE BEST IS YET
TO COME”
9