Robert M. Grinsell, a resident of Happy Valley, OR, died April 15 at the age of 80. To family and friends he was also known as “Charlie” and “Chum”. A funeral mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 28, at Christ the King Parish, Milwaukie, OR. Burial will follow at a later date at Echo Cemetery.
He was born to Art and Marie Josephine Grinsell on January 17, 1938, in Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada. He and his family moved to Vanport, OR, in 1944. After losing their residence and all their belongings in the Vanport Flood in 1948, the family moved to the North Portland area where Robert attended Blessed Sacrament Grade School and later St. Cecilia Grade School. After attending Central Catholic H.S. for a short period of time, Robert enlisted in the U.S. Army, a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne, and discharged in 1957.
Robert and Georgiana Hibbard met in 1966 and were married on January 18, 1969. They celebrated their 49 years of marriage in January.
For more than 50 years Robert was employed in the building maintenance field. After a 3-year apprenticeship program, he worked as a journeyman window cleaner on many of the high rise buildings in downtown Portland for many years. In later years he held custodial/maintenance positions in several parishes (Christ the King, St. Clare, St. Joseph and St. Peter) and the Pastoral Center for the Archdiocese of Portland. He retired in 2006.
His hobbies included wood working and hunting, mostly to have the opportunity to share quality time with friends. After retirement Robert’s greatest hobby/pleasure was making paper airplanes of his own design for children of all ages. Seeing the joy of their smiling faces made his day.
He was preceded in death by his parents and by two brothers and three sisters (Thomas, Joan Wagner, Gayle Hodson, Bill, Rose Powell). He is survived by his wife Georgiana, brother Paul (Guadalupe) in Beaverton, sister Hosanna “Pinky” (Terry) Thomas in Vancouver, and many nieces and nephews.
Memorial gifts may be made to Christ the King Parish or St. Francis of Assisi Dining Hall.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18