Jeffery Clark Washington

December 31, 1963 – January 12, 2025

Late morning on January 12th, 2025, Jeffery “Jeff” Washington passed away at age 61. He was mountain biking in the Columbia River Gorge, near Cascade Locks, when his heart gave out. His final moments were spent doing what he loved, and he was accompanied by his close friends.

Jeff was born at 4:50 am on December 31st, 1963 in Portland, Oregon to Glen (Reed) Day. He was adopted a year later by Janice (Latta) Mckinley and Harold Washington. He was the first child adopted by Harold and Janice, who later adopted Lisa (Washington) Gill and Peggy Washington.

In his youth, Jeff attended Catlin Gabel Elementary School. He then went on to attend West Linn High School and graduated in 1982. During high school, he played basketball and ran track and field. He even set a school record for the high jump during his freshman year.

As an adult, Jeff had an impactful career working in a variety of roles for Multnomah County. He began by working in the Multnomah County Health Department. He was also a part of the Healthy Birth Initiatives (HBI), which is a program that offers support for pregnant Black women and their families. His other roles were in Human Resources, Integrated Clinical Services Student Health Centers, the STARS (Students Aren’t Ready For Sex) program, and Parent and Child Family Health (PCFH). Throughout his many different positions within the county, Jeff’s passion for helping others only grew.

Jeff’s most recent position was with the Office of Emergency Management, where he worked to support the severe weather shelters. His dedication earned him a nomination for the “Outstanding Team Achievement” Employee Recognition Award.

Outside of work, Jeff loved to spend his time outdoors. He was an avid camper. During the summer, he could often be found camping at Sauvie Island with his friends and family. He was known for his ability to cook up the best crispy bacon on a camp stove. He also enjoyed mountain bike riding, and skiing during the winter. Over the years, he volunteered his time coaching youth basketball, soccer, and track and field.

Jeff was a lover of all kinds of music. He had an old iPod with hundreds of songs on it, along with an extensive collection of CDs. He especially loved rock music and 70s pop. Although he had a refined taste in music, he was also able to enjoy the modern pop music his daughters used to force him to play in the car when they were teenagers (even if he wouldn’t admit it).

Those who knew Jeff would describe him as outgoing and easy to talk to. He treated everyone he encountered as you would treat a long-time friend. He had the ability to find humor in every situation and was always quick to crack a joke. At the same time, he was extremely caring and thoughtful. Jeff loved his friends and family deeply.

Jeff was preceded in death by his big sister, Peggy Washington; his brother-in-law, Forrest Gill Sr.; and his stepfather, Ron Mckinley.

He is survived by his daughters, Sofie and Alie Washington; his little sister, Lisa Gill; his biological mom, Glenn Day; his adoptive mom and her husband, Jan Mckinley and Voyne Mitchell; his adoptive dad and his wife, Harold and Annette Washington; his niece and her husband Nicole and Michael Bailey; his great niece, Jada Jones; his great nephew, Brandon Heath Jr.; his many aunts, uncles, cousins, and his many friends.

Jeff’s celebration of life will be held on Saturday, March 29th from 2pm to 4pm at the Charles Jordan Community Center in Portland. The family kindly requests that guests bring a photo (with your name on the back) to be posted on a photo board at the service. These photos will be donated to Jeff’s daughters.