Jean Crenshaw Cory, an energetic Portland community leader, died Friday, Sept. 6, 2019, of natural causes at the Terwilliger Plaza continuous care center, her residence for the last 20 years, ten days shy of her 96th birthday.
She was born in Birmingham, Ala., to Alberta Thomas Crenshaw and Fred Crenshaw, MD. After graduating from Brenau University in Gainesville, Ga., in 1944 with a bachelor's degree in a comparatively unusual field for a woman, chemistry, her adventurous spirit led her to the New York City area where she lived with her college roommate, Ginny Theis and worked for Colgate Palmolive.
She married Cleveland C. Cory of Englewood, N.J., a lawyer, in May 1948 and they soon moved to Portland, where he practiced for many years with the firm now known as Stoel Rives. She soon began a string of community service activities which culminated in service as President of the Board of Directors of the Catlin Gabel School, President of the Albertina Kerr Center for Children and Terwilliger Plaza, an accredited, self-governing continuing care community in a downtown Portland high rise. There she took part in the full range of its offerings, from swimming and computer classes to weekly meetings with the tightly-knit 9th floor community.
"Any organization that was lucky enough to have Jean in its midst benefited from her practical, inclusive, no-nonsense approach," a friend said recently. She was known as a dependable friend and a lover of travel, bridge, chamber music, cats and orchids.
She was preceded in death by her husband and two of her six children, Charles and Robert. She is survived by Peter, Michael and David Cory; daughter, Camilla Streeter; eight grandchildren, Wendell, Julia, Lily, Zack, Austin and Brandon Cory and Kate and David Gallo; and one great-granddaughter, Madeleine Gallo.
A celebration of her life will take place at 1 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019, at Terwilliger Plaza, 2545 S.W. Terwilliger Blvd., Portland, OR 97201. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her name may be made to The Terwilliger Plaza Foundation c/o Terwilliger Plaza.
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