Obituary
William “Bill” Foster Hushman, 80, of Portland, Oregon passed away on August 22, 2026, following a massive stroke. He was surrounded by family at the time of his death. Bill was born April 2, 1946, in Fullerton, California to John Foster Hushman and Linda (Schroeder) Hushman. He was the youngest of four children.
Bill grew up in Orange County, California, tearing around in the riverbeds and the orange groves where his Grandfather Schroeder homesteaded. He lived a Dennis the Menace life, riding his bike and roaming free until dinnertime – and getting into all sorts of mischief. His grandfather was an orchardist and knew the man who sold the property where Disneyland was built in the 1950s. According to his grandfather, “They tore up all those good orange trees, just to build a damn circus.”
Bill graduated from Anaheim High School in 1964. After high school he took photography classes at Fullerton Junior College, where he met Barry Nix, another budding photographer. Together they started a small photography business called My Friend and I Take Photographs and spent hours in Bill’s dark room in his grandmother’s garage. It was the beginning of a passion for photography that lasted throughout his lifetime. He attributed his growth as a photographer to Cherie Hiser, Portland’s own accomplished photographer and instructor. Bill once took a workshop with Ruth Bernhard, who danced in front of the class with one of his images held over her head exclaiming “Look at the light! Look at the light!”
Bill was on the bowling team all through high school. After graduation, he spent most of his free time at the local bowling alley in Anaheim. In 1965, at the age of 19, he bowled two perfect 300 games in league play. The American Bowling Congress awarded him a ruby ring and a gold watch in recognition of his remarkable scores. The gold watch is long gone, but Bill’s son, Glenn, wears the ruby ring on a chain around his neck as a good luck charm when he bowls in his league back home in New Mexico.
Bill married his first wife, Pamela (Nash) Hushman in 1974. They moved from Southern California to Oregon the same year. Together they had two children, Courtney Marie Hushman in 1975 and Glenn Foster Hushman in 1978. Bill and Pam divorced in 1988. Soon after, Bill bought a small house just minutes away from his kids, where his door was always open to them. He tried to make them dinner once a week, but his culinary skills were not the best, so they often headed to Red Robin or ordered a pizza. He didn’t miss a sporting event or a school concert.
Bill met Carol (Golladay) Woodcock on Labor Day in 1991 at a surprise birthday party for a mutual friend. Eight months later, they had their first date. Bill was a brave man. He came to Carol’s house and rototilled her garden, barbecued his own dinner, and was bombarded by the antics of Carol’s two young children, Jessie and Ben. They married in 1996 in the backyard surrounded by family and friends. Bill became the best stepfather two kids could ever have.
Bill made his living installing flooring, countertops, and tile in new construction and remodels. He was a favorite subcontractor at several storefronts, including the Floor Store in the Woodstock neighborhood. He could transform a kitchen floor in a day. His clients loved his workmanship, but sometimes complained that he made it look too easy for what they were paying. Well into his 70s, Bill laid the flooring and set all the tile in the ADU that he and Carol built on their property.
Bill loved working with his hands. He matted and framed his own photographs and made wooden boxes and stools for his grandkids. He helped Glenn build a deck and an elaborate play structure and helped Ben convert two sheds into art studios, tear out and fully remodel a bathroom, and rebuild the back steps. It never seemed to matter when or what the project was, Bill would show up with a bag full of tools, ready to help.
After he retired, Bill could be found on the golf course once or twice a week. He was the oldest of a group of men who played together for decades. It was a good day of golf if he was in a foursome with his good friend, Michael Chewning. In 2018, at the age of 71, Bill sunk a hole in one at Heron Lakes. He played 18 holes at Eastmoreland with the guys the day before his stroke.
Bill was boisterous and loved to jab and rib you until you cracked a smile. He loved to make cards for family and friends. His handwriting was unique and quirky, just like him. He loved writing down notes and quotes on scraps of paper. “Chance favors the prepared mind.” (Louis Pasteur) “There’s no tragedy in avoidable stupidity.” (Sharyn McCrumb). He was a patient teacher and prioritized learning over getting the project done quickly. He was known to use a piece of duct tape in lieu of a Band-Aid. He was down to earth and full of good common sense. He gave great hugs. He would always walk you to your car and make sure you were safely on your way. He was as loyal as they come.
Bill is survived by his wife, Carol Hushman, his daughter, Courtney Harrison and her husband Noah, from Sheridan, Arkansas, son, Glenn Hushman and his wife Cari and their three children, Anni, Kate, and Foster, from Sandia Park, New Mexico, his stepdaughter, Jessie Woodcock, and her son Henry, stepson, Ben Woodcock, his partner, Caitlin Dean, and their two sons, Freddie and Charlie, all from Portland. Bill is also survived by his biological son, Stephen Clarno, from Akron, Ohio, who he met later in life, his brother, John Hushman from St. Paul, Minnesota, and a number of nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother, George Hushman, and sister, Pat Stapleton.
Bill’s Celebration of Life will be held at Cassidy’s Restaurant in downtown Portland on Sunday, November 15, 2026, from 1:00-4:00 p.m. All are welcome.
Those wishing to sign Bill’s online memorial book may do so on Omega Funeral & Cremation Services’ website omegaservices.com.
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