Gregory Lind Abel

Gregory Lind Abel was born on August 11, 1948 in Thousand Oaks, California to Melba Maxine White and Charles Virgil Abel. He died on April 9, 2022 at the age of 73 in Portland, Oregon surrounded by family after nearly 7 years of showing cancer who was boss.

Greg was a bit of a rascal in his childhood and his family took great delight in the telling and retelling of various stories of the trouble he got himself into in his youth. After joining the Army and serving in Vietnam, Greg returned to California where he met the love of his life, Kathy when he was 27 years old. A year later, their daughter Kirstin was born and two years after that, their son Jarred. Greg was a dedicated father attending all of the Valentine’s Day school programs, soccer matches, softball games and orchestra concerts over the years. Though he could not necessarily be counted on to arrive on time, he always arrived.

Greg’s work life included two primary occupations – law enforcement and woodworking. Greg enjoyed many successes in law enforcement and some of his acquired professional habits such as never sitting with his back to the door, simultaneously observing every person and conversation taking place at a party, and getting others to say more than they ever intended with his silence and knowing gaze, never left him. Eventually he turned to the craft of building things out of wood and filled many a retail store around the country with his creations. During his years of woodworking, no one was safe from being pulled in, and stopping by the woodshop to say “hi” meant you’d soon find a broom in your hand, sweeping up sawdust. Perhaps the best part of working in a warehouse, either on his own or with Jarred, was that he could blast the music as loud as he wanted. Greg took special joy in cranking up Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight,” so that your entire body felt the drum fill explode!

Greg was a person who passionately stood up for what he believed in, even when others disagreed and it had the potential to cost him. After Jarred was injured in his early 20s by a product called wired glass that had been improperly installed, Greg started a non-profit to ensure no one else was harmed by its misuse. He worked tirelessly and became the preeminent national expert on wired glass applications, lobbied and testified before Congress and got the building codes changed in both the US and Canada, much to the dismay of the foreign manufacturers whose sales he limited.

After taking several family vacations to Mexico in the late 90s, Greg learned that he felt connected to the country and its people and made plans to retire there. Over the past 20 years, he and Kathy spent a significant amount of time establishing a home and a community of friends who are like family in Manzanillo where he was known as “Gregorio.”

More than Greg or Gregorio, the most cherished names he was known by were Dad and Papa. There was no question if you met Greg how fiercely he loved his children. And though they often saw the harder, more intimidating law enforcement side of him, his grandchildren saw the most tender parts. Papa was a perfect softy when it came to his four grandchildren, Lillian, Mallory, Cooper and Addison. He had nicknames for each of them and beamed with pride in their presence.

In August of 2015, Greg’s life took an unexpected turn when he was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer. He was given 12-18 months to live but he swore to his family he was ready for a fight. And fight he did. Greg beat back the cancer time and time again, amazing his doctors and defying every odd. Throughout his battle he was dedicated to improving things for his fellow patients, advocating for them when they were not getting the care they deserved and acting in a more official role as OHSU’s Patient Advocate for the Association of Oncology Social Workers. Greg was adamant that he never would have enjoyed his health successes had it not been for the loving care of Kathy who supported him each day of their 45-year marriage and especially after his diagnosis.

In addition to giving cancer “what for,” Greg became highly invested over the last several years of his life in researching his Native American heritage. He’d always known he was of Native decent and it had long been a part of his cultural life, but it wasn’t until he dug deeper that he learned he was related to Chief Hagler of the Catawba Tribe. This lineage was a source of great pride for him, as Chief Hagler was notorious for his advocacy skills.

Greg was proceeded in death and is now with his mother Melba, father Charles and brothers Charles, Michael and Terry. He is survived in life by his loving wife of 45 years, Kathy; his daughter Kirstin, her husband Joe and daughter Lillian; his son Jarred, his partner Amber and children Mallory, Cooper and Addison; former son-in-law Tim; and sister Robin, her husband Skip and children.

A celebration of life will be held in Portland on June 11, 2022. Details to follow.

If you wish to honor Greg with a charitable donation, he was a supporter of NAYA (Native American Youth Association), nayapdx.org, an advocacy and support group for Native youth and their families.