NEWBERG, Ore. — George Fox University students and staff were met with a cheerful surprise last Friday when they walked through the central quad and were handed a flower.
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The gesture, part of the university’s “Friday Flowers” tradition, is meant to honor the legacy of “Grandpa Roy,” a prominent George Fox figure, and remind recipients that small acts can make a big difference in their community, said Britnee Ely, assistant director of alumni relations.
“He was involved here in some capacity for over 40 years, but took on this campus grandpa figure as a volunteer,” Ely said. “He would sit in the cafeteria with students after he retired, talk with them, and bring flowers from his garden to hand out. The flower association is so special because that’s what he did, and it’s a physical representation of how much he cared for the students here.”
Roy Hiebert — affectionately known as “Grandpa Roy” — was a longtime George Fox employee before becoming a campus staple. He retired as assistant director of plant services in 1987 but continued spending time around campus, offering a listening ear — and sometimes a handful of flowers — to anyone who needed it.
According to a 2015 post in the George Fox Journal, Hiebert would load up a cardboard box several times a week with “all the flowers he can carry” and hand them to people walking by. He would then set the box outside the cafeteria, where students left their trays, and sit nearby, leaving open seats for anyone who wanted company.
Hiebert came to George Fox after working as a teacher and electrician at a school for missionary children in Ethiopia. He helped establish the “Greenroom,” a volunteer student prayer and worship gathering that continues today, according to the Journal.
In 1996, he was recognized as the university’s Volunteer of the Year after contributing more than 240 hours to build a prayer chapel. In 1999, he received the Christian Service Award from the Northwest Christian Communication Foundation for his work on campus.
Hiebert died in 2016 from injuries sustained in an accident that broke his hip. In a Facebook post announcing his death, students and faculty shared memories of the man who, for many, was their first friendly face at George Fox.
“One of my very fondest memories was of freshman orientation weekend about 14 years ago, and Grandpa Roy was there handing out roses on campus to the new students,” wrote alumna Megan Love in a Facebook post. “He came up to me and some of my floor mates and handed us a rose and said, ‘Good luck,’ with a smile. That day he was nothing more than an unknown, sweet man encouraging us freshmen on our first day, but throughout my time on campus I’d interact with him more in the cafeteria and sometimes passing by in the quad. He was cherished by students and never by himself. He will be deeply missed, and I’m sad for future Bruins who will never have the privilege of knowing him.”
George Fox launched Friday Flowers in 2021 as a way to introduce future Bruins to Hiebert and honor his legacy. During the Friday of Homecoming weekend, faculty members set up in the campus quad and hand out flowers to passersby. Each flower includes a small informational tag with a brief description of Grandpa Roy and a QR code linking to the George Fox Journal post about him.
“There were so many reasons for wanting to continue his legacy and honor his culture of giving back, showing that a small act of kindness can mean so much to someone,” Ely said. “He embodied that so well, and here at George Fox, with our ‘Be Known’ promise, he truly lived that out by meeting students where they were. We want to continue that legacy.”
Since the tradition is only in its fourth year, Ely said not many alumni have experienced Friday Flowers firsthand. Still, many who return for Homecoming remember Grandpa Roy and share stories of the impact he had on their lives.
“The newer students may not remember Grandpa Roy, but now they’ll know Friday Flowers and learn about him through this event,” she said. “It’s how we’re preserving his memory and continuing his impact.”
Friday Flowers will continue every Homecoming Friday for the foreseeable future, Ely said. The annual event is open to the community.
