Funding the future
Gary Tipton had a passion for technology, one that he advocated for during his time on the Camas School Board. After he died from pancreatic cancer in 2008, his wife, Mary Tipton, made a donation in his memory to support the Camas-Washougal High School Robotics Team. When the students received the material to build their robots for the 2011-12 season, they were curious as to the donor. After mentor Bruce Whitefield received permission to tell them, the students decided to name their robots Gary and Tipton in his honor. "It was such a nice thing that they did," Tipton said. "It was such a nice gesture on their part."