John Harold Bingen

John Harold Bingen passed away on February 14, 2025, in Portland, Oregon, at the age of 80. He was born on November 19, 1944, in St. Paul, Minnesota, to Lillian Anderson Bingen and Stanley Bingen, the fourth of five siblings.

At 18, John enlisted in the Army. Not long after, he met Rebecca Hoagland from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on a group blind date. As the story goes, she sized him up, grabbed his arm, and the rest was history. They were married for 58 years.

John was the first in his family to attend college, earning a degree from the University of Minnesota. He built a career in marketing at Texaco Inc., where he managed the Pacific Northwest region. His job took him to Alaska, Hawaii, and all over the beautiful Northwest. His kids remember tagging along as he drove around on weekends collecting data on gas prices from competing gas stations—long before there were apps for that. After never leaving Minnesota as a boy, he made it a goal to visit all 50 states in his lifetime and he did.

On weekends, John could be found cheering for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Portland Trail Blazers. Through Texaco, he provided some amazing experiences for his family: Trail Blazers basketball games, courtside seats to see the first Dream Team, Indy car races, and the Portland Rose Festival. He introduced the Beach Boys at a concert in Portland to thunderous applause as the audience mistook him for lead singer Mike Love.

John had a big laugh, a boyish twinkle in his eyes when he was animated, and endless stories--many of which he told over and over. His kids remember the countless times when he and Rebecca would share an inside joke or a look, and have each other in stitches while the kids would shake their heads and roll their eyes.

He took pride in his children and often reminded them that if they worked hard, they could be anything and do anything. He adored his grandchildren and never missed an opportunity to share their latest stories with friends.

He loved fly fishing and camping along the Metolius river with Rebecca, Peter, and his golden retrievers. He relished a good Rueben sandwich at Gubanc’s pub and enjoyed summer pilgrimages back to Minnesota to see extended family and attend the State Fair. Perhaps his favorite time was “happy hour.” It was a daily afternoon ritual with Rebecca, in the living room, a bourbon in hand, the fireplace aglow, talking about life, love, kids, and memories.

John was Scandinavian to the core. He loved pickled herring. He took pride in being 50-percent Swedish and 50-percent Norwegian. A highlight for him was visiting the Bingen family homestead in Sorumsand, Norway.

John was diagnosed with prostate cancer early and retired sooner than planned. Bladder cancer ravaged his body later on. Although he was physically weakened, his mind stayed sharp. He wanted to make it to 80 years old. In November 2024, he celebrated his 80th birthday with his three grandchildren by his side.

He is survived by his wife, Rebecca; his children, Kari, Megan, and Peter; and his grandchildren, Henry, James, and Harrison. He will be laid to rest at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minnesota.

John was deeply loved and will be dearly missed.