One can tell from this photo taken in 2014, that Salli was a kind, loving and beautiful person. She was diagnosed with Alzheimers in 2010, and was involved in 3 drug studies. She was not expecting that the studies would ever help herself but instead, she was thinking about how her involvement could help other people in the future.
She grew up enjoying the outdoors with her family. In her adult years, she would enjoy fishing for cutthroat trout, brown trout, steelhead and digging for razor clams with her fisheries biologist father. Then along came Salli’s husband Jim who enjoyed doing the same things.
Salli enjoyed celebrating life, a little bit everyday! Up until August, 2021, when 5:00 would come rolling around and using her limited remaining vocabulary, she would bellow out “where’s my whiskey” meaning her Manhattan. She would enjoy her drink while watching music videos and dancing in her chair.
Salli has many close friends and a small family that will miss her terribly. We will always wear big smiles when thinking of her. She was predeceased by her parents Ralph and Betty Swan. She is survived by her sister Jean Swan of Benicia, California and her husband of 38 years, Jim Johnson of Portland. Salli’s mother also had Alzheimer’s and so Salli deliberately did not have children.
She was born in Astoria, Oregon and lived in Gearhart until she was about 6 years old.
Her family then moved to Eugene until she was a junior in high school and then moved to
Portland where she went to Wilson High School. She then spent about 2 years at Portland
Community college. Years later, she graduated from a physical therapy assistant program (2 years) at Mt. Hood Community College. Most of her working years were in cosmetic sales at Nordstrom’s in Lloyd Center and also as a concierge at Nordstrom’s.
There was a family only graveside service at Skyline Memorial Gardens in Portland. Salli was a member of St. James Lutheran Church in Portland. In remembering Salli, try playing one of her favorite songs, Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin.
