Anteau Remembered for His Humor, Selflessness

About 1,000 friends and family filled the commons at Hermiston High School on Saturday to celebrate the life of Jason Anteau.

An area coordinator for the Oregon Department of Transportation, Anteau, 43, died after a motorcycle accident on July 24. Anteau served as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician with Hermiston Fire and Emergency Services, a member of the Hazardous Materials Team and the vice president of the East Desert Diamondbacks chapter of the Iron Order motorcycle club.

On Saturday, the common area at Hermiston High School filled with leather “Iron Order” vests and local fire department uniforms as community members, firefighters, and bikers came together to remember Anteau and his impact on the communities of Eastern Oregon. With all the seats filled, guests stood on the balconies, stairs, and around the walls.

Jim Tanner, former chaplain for Hermiston Fire and Emergency Services, presided and pointed to social networking site Facebook as an example of the impact Anteau made.

“Last time I checked, it was over 1,000 shares and likes and 400 words of encouragement from people whose lives Jason touched,” Tanner said. “If you needed something you could ask Jason and he would drop what he was doing and come help.”

Speakers remembered Anteau for his sense of humor, his “crazy” stories and his willingness to help.

“He helped many of us in many different ways. He would just help anybody,” Hermiston Fire Chief Scott Stanton said. “There’s a huge hole in the district without him. He helped anybody any time, and he will be sorely missed.”

said even though Anteau will be missed, he will be remembered well, both for his willingness to help and for his humor.

“We’ll think about Jason, we’ll get sad, we’ll shed tears, and then we’ll break out in laughter,” he said. “We can’t just come here and cry the entire time. God says, ‘Go ahead and dance.’”

Anteau leaves behind his wife of 17 years, Angie, two children, Trenton and Alex, his parents and many family and friends. Representatives of the Iron Order presented Alex with her father’s motorcycle jacket; representatives of the fire district presented Trenton with his father’s turnout coat and helmet, and Stanton presented Angie with an American flag and Anteau’s badge.

The celebration of life also included the Bend Fire Pipes and Drums, the Oregon Fire Service Honor Guard, and the firefighter’s “last bell” presentation.

After the ceremony, the funeral procession traveled under an American flag lifted by two ladder trucks. A Hermiston Fire and Emergency Services pickup carrying a riderless motorcycle behind it led the procession, and more than 200 vehicles, including fire engines, ambulances, ODOT work trucks and many motorcycles joined the short drive in honor of Anteau.

In lieu of flowers, the family asked donations be made either to the Portland Shriners Hospital or to the college fund for Anteau’s children, available at Old West Federal Credit Union.