He is survived by his sister Gloria Bridge Patterson from Olympia, his wife of 40 years Lauren (Laurie) and his son Derek.
Greg grew up in Portland, attended Portland Adventist Academy and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Walla Walla University in 1980. Greg recently celebrated 50 years since playing basketball with the winning PAA Cougars games in the Portland high school league. Greg was a great nurse, having a passion for helping veterans at the Veterans’ Administration Medical Center. There are many stories of how Greg helped patients and staff in the Emergency Department , paying for Uber rides, buying shoes, clothing, or food…his message was always “you never know when you might make a positive difference in someone’s life.” He worked at the VA for 30 years.
Greg loved to travel. He took annual motorcycle trips with cherished “brothers” Vern, Paul and Bill, attending the Sturgis rally and visiting several national parks. In August there will be a Mt. Lassen ride to celebrate Greg’s life. Greg and Laurie traveled extensively throughout Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Europe, Australia, the British West Indies, and Costa Rica.
He completed several marathons and Hood to Coast runs with his sister-in-law, Carol, his running partner. He loved to work out and help others achieve their fitness goals.
Following his retirement in 2017, Greg pursued fishing and snow skiing with his buddies Greg and Dan.
Greg had many extended family members including the Portland Adventist Academy Cougars, the Veteran’s Administration Emergency Department, CrossFit Mt Hood, Krav Maga and Lyft gyms.
A celebration of his life will be held this summer.
Donations in Greg’s memory can be made to Lines for Life.
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