Emily Jean Daniel

1952 - 2025

Emily Jean Daniel, 73, of Portland, Oregon passed away peacefully at home, following a brief battle with pancreatic cancer.

Emily is survived by partner Bud Reece, son Pete Beutler and daughter Kate Beutler, grandson Alexander Beutler, and brothers Chris Daniel, Tim Daniel, and Tony Daniel.

Emily made a big life for herself, full of community and love. Her life was one marked by a spirit of adventure and a passion for helping others. She was committed to a better world for everyone.

She was born in the West African nation of Liberia to Paul Daniel and Lois Pierson, American parents who were science educators at Cuttington College. Upon the family's return to the US in 1953, the family lived in Oxford, Ohio where Emily graduated from Talawanda High School.

She graduated from Kalamazoo College in 1974 with a degree in Sociology. In college, Emily completed a study abroad semester, returning to Liberia to study at Cuttington College, and also completed an internship in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with the Movement for a New Society.

After college she lived in Philadelphia, where she fought for social justice as part of the women's liberation movement and served as a Juvenile Court Advocate for Women Organized Against Rape, later known as the Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence. While in Philadelphia she found community through the Movement for a New Society, the Philadelphia Religious Society of Friends, and Re-evaluation Counseling.

After brief periods in Alabama and Texas, Emily settled in Frederick County, Maryland where she raised her two children. In Frederick, she continued as a passionate advocate for women, children, and families through her work at Heartly House and for the Frederick County Health Department, developing and leading programs including Frederick Families First and the Children of Incarcerated Parents Partnership. Emily was a founding member of what became Liberty Village Cohousing, and was a resident there for a number of years.

Throughout her life, her deep love for the great outdoors and connection to family were apparent, with many holidays spent camping at state parks across Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Maryland with her family.

Later in life, she was drawn to the natural beauty and bicycle-friendly lifestyle of the Pacific Northwest and relocated to Portland, Oregon where she became a beloved member of the Cascadia Commons cohousing community. In Oregon she found a love for native plant gardening, cultivating her backyard into a beautiful native wetland.

A lifelong learner, Emily earned her Masters degree in Social Work from Portland State University at the age of 61 and in the spring of 2025 along with her three brothers, she attended a Spanish language immersion program in Guatemala. Up until her passing, she remained an active member of her community and remained engaged in numerous social, political, and environmental causes.

Emily met her partner, Bud Reece, in 2024, and while their relationship was tragically cut short by Emily's passing, their love and devotion to each other was clear to all who knew them.

Emily lived a life cultivating the virtues of kindness, connection, and community, which she believed are so needed in the world today.

A memorial is to be held in the spring 2026. In lieu of flowers, donations in memoriam may be made to any of the following organizations.

Pancreatic Cancer Action Network PanCAN (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network).org" target="_new" rel="nofollow">PanCAN (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network).org

WOAR woar.org Emily Jean Daniel