Eugene-Gill-Obituary

Eugene "Gene" Gill

Portland, Oregon

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Portland, Oregon

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Gill, Eugene 'Gene' 82 Jan. 26, 1930 July 27, 2012 Artist Gene Gill, considered by many as the premier painter of Portland, died peacefully in his sleep from heart failure. He was well-known for his rainy day street scenes. He will always be remembered for his generosity and his wonderful sense...

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I have the extreme pleasure of owning several of Genes paintings, and taking classes from him. Truly a great artist and a great loss

I will never forget growing up around big Gene and little Gene and the family home and hoop. Lots of great memories of hospitality, fun, laughter and the two Gene's, Jason/David and Teddy of course! Such a gracious family and thankful for their friendship and support during my "wonder years". Gene's amazing talent to capture beauty on a canvas will live on in our hearts, minds and walls of our homes and offices.

August 14, 2012

I had the pleasure of working with Gene when he helped the Oregon Association for Children and Adults with Learning Disabilities develop publicity materials. He was such a joy to work with, always cheerful and charming and that wonderful laugh.

His talent was amazing! Gene has been a part of our lives ever since. Our home is graced with the four prints of Portland street scenes and a commissioned water color of Morrison St. in summer with the vintage...

In addition to his beautiful fine art, Geno was the go-to-guy for many in the Portland advertising business for his excellent commercial art and his unmistakable style. So many times I've randomly spotted a fantastic portrait or illustration and then suddenly realized - THIS WAS DONE BY GENE GILL! Looking at the world through Geno's eyes has always been a treat; thankfully, that pleasure lives on through his work. As a young Mad Man in Portland in the 1980's, it was always fun to stop by...

I worked with Gene at McCann-Erikson in the 70's and have fond memories working with him. His sense of humor was contagious and I will always remember him passing along a joke followed by his contagious laugh. To the Family: I am so sorry for you loss.

Gene has been part of my life since I was a teenager, and he's always been an inspiration and source of encouragement to me and many others. I miss him very much. He had an unforgettable laugh that always brought a smile, and possessed a marvelously generous and fatherly heart towards any burgeoning artist looking to take the plunge.
Peace to you, Geno, and my prayers for all of those who are missing you.

So many artists in Portland (and beyond) are grateful for the gifts Gene gave us--his sense of humor, his wit, and his amazing painting skills. For those of us lucky enough to be in a critique group with Gene, he turned a keen eye to our work and helped us "up our game" time and time again. We will miss his thoughts, ideas, and creative drive. Our thoughts are with you, Teddi, and your family as you navigate through this difficult time.

I will never forget Gene's generosity to me, he guided me to art, he coached, he allowed as many errors as I could make but he always had words of wisdom with a glint in his eye and that "laugh" that no one will ever forget. I am so privledged to have known Eugene Gill.
Cliff Thorne