Donald Gregg Floren & Diane Joyce Vinton Floren

Donald Gregg Floren

Dec. 9, 1930 - Nov. 2, 2024

Don was born on December 9, 1930, in Oregon City, OR, to Hulda and Everett Floren. He joined an older brother, Myron (who came to be known as "Joe.) The family didn't have much, but Don always looked back on his childhood fondly, remembering the adventures in and around his Portland neighborhoods, often on the streetcar or on a bicycle, and many with his brother. Don would later capture these feelings of free-spirited youth in a poem titled "Trolleytown."

Don attended Jefferson High School in Portland and then Lewis & Clark College. He graduated in 1951 with a degree in English Literature and Philosophy. He was Editor-in-Chief of the Pioneer Log, a yearbook editor, Senior Class President, and president of his fraternity, Theta Chi. It's no exaggeration to say that Lewis & Clark provided the defining experience of his life, shaping his passion for writing and bringing him together with not only the love of his life but a cadre of lifelong friends. As a member of the Albany Society (for alumni having graduated more than 50 years prior), he chaired the board and sat on the National Board of Alumni. He once remarked, "I have never driven into the driveway of the college without feeling like I was home."

After college, Don was drafted into the service. He did a short stint in the Marines before a couple of years in the Army. He was stationed at Fort Ord in California, where he won acclaim as a pitcher of the 6th Army Division softball champs.

Diane Joyce Vinton

Apr. 11, 1933 - Jan. 16, 2025

Diane was born April 11, 1933, in Portland, OR, to Adella and Lewis W. "Fred" Vinton. Her brother, Winfred (also known as "Fred"), was born four years later. She attended Powellhurst Grade School, where she played basketball, and graduated from Gresham High School, where she was a member of the rally squad. In 1951, Diane enrolled at Lewis & Clark College to study art. She was a founding member of the local chapter of Delta Phi Gamma. While a student, she worked at Meier & Frank (occasionally riding the bus to work with Gerry Frank himself) and did a little modeling on the side.

Don and Diane Floren

Don and Diane met at Lewis & Clark and were married in 1953 by then-President Morgan Odell. With Don still in the service, Diane continued working in Portland. The newlyweds were separated for almost a year before beginning their married life together in Carmel, on the Monterey Peninsula. They remembered the California years fondly, especially their small rental house--replete with a giant oak tree and a resident one-eyed squirrel--and the lasting friendships forged.

Following Don's discharge in 1955, he and Diane moved back to Portland. Don proved a more-than-capable handyman (entirely self-taught), even adding an entire room onto their first house in the southeast. It was a skill he honed through decades of home ownership, crafting furniture and adding colonial-style touches to a house in Beaverton; hand-digging a backyard pool; making repairs and improvements to an old beach house; and teaming up to construct an entire mountain cabin. Don's construction and carpentry skills, coupled with Diane's painting and finishing prowess, proved just one of the complementary aspects of their partnership.

Don began his civilian career as a sportswriter for the Oregon Journal before moving into teaching. At David Douglas High School, he taught English and also served as varsity tennis coach and advisor to the student newspaper. Don had a passion for teaching, which showed up in various other stops along his career journey. Diane worked at U.S. Bank.

In 1958, Gregg was born. Three years later, April came along. To better provide for the growing family, Don left teaching to join a fledgling company called Tektronix. He began as a technical writer and would eventually work his way up to department manager. The family moved to Beaverton, settling into their newly built Cape Cod-style home.

In 1965, the Florens pooled funds with three other families (friends from Lewis & Clark) and bought an old beach bungalow in Neskowin. This real estate purchase cemented the unique and extraordinary relationship that came to be known as "The Beach Bunch," bonds of friendship that spanned two generations. This was not your typical shared ownership arrangement. Each owner was allowed one week of the year for their immediate family, but any other time was a free-for-all. Holiday weekends, especially Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day, would find a full house: eight adults and eight children sharing 1 and 1/2 bathrooms and a giant picnic table in the kitchen for meals. What fun was had!

Don and Diane never missed a chance to take a spin on a dance floor. In the late sixties they shared this passion and their skills as instructors for the Norm Stoll School of Dance, turning others on to the samba, foxtrot, and cha cha. These two danced their way through seven decades. We'd like to think they're dancing even now.

When both children were in grade school, Diane resumed her pursuit of art, initially taking up tole painting, the folk art of country painting (mainly on tin). Over the years she became a serious student of the brush, broadening her skills to eventually encompass: Norwegian rosemaling, free-hand bronze painting, gold leafing, faux graining, stenciling, theorem, reverse glass painting, watercolor, acrylics, and oils.

From 1971-74, Don, on loan from Tektronix, served as the Oregon Director of the National Alliance of Businessmen, a non-profit established to promote job education, training, and placement for disadvantaged and youth workers. He found deep meaning in the work, and the National conference in 1973 provided an opportunity for the family to take a trip to Washington, D.C.. While on the East Coast, the Florens visited New York City, as well as museums and historical sites of America's colonial period. Don and Diane were drawn to this era-its arts and architecture - and were avid antique collectors.

In the seventies, the Florens and two of the other three Beach Bunch families added to their joint real-estate holdings, leasing a lot on the shores of Swift Reservoir, near Mount St. Helens in Washington state. This intrepid group then set out to construct a two-story cabin with nary a professional builder among them-only a couple of multi-skilled handymen (Don and Bill McClelland), four willing and able-bodied adult assistants, and six goofy teenagers. As you might imagine, this foolhardy venture provided enough crazy stories to last them all a lifetime, and, fortunately, everyone did survive to tell them.

Diane's painting skills were in demand. She began teaching tole, initially at a small craft shop in Tigard. At the same time, she continued to pursue further mastery of early American decorative techniques. She made her first of what would become week-long annual treks to Tucson to study with a renowned Master Teacher. Eventually, she would crown her painting achievements by winning acceptance to the prestigious Historical Society for Early American Decoration (HSEAD). It was around this same time that Don picked up a block of black walnut wood and a carving tool and never looked back.

The eighties saw Don finish out his career at Tektronix, taking early retirement in 1985, after spending his post-NAB years in management development and then as head of the in-house TV and media studio. Diane moved her painting classes into her basement studio. Don renewed his certificate and returned to teaching. He taught full-time at Franklin High School for two years, and then substituted for a bit. But he was also getting serious about his own art.

The family expanded, with Don and Diane gaining a daughter-in-law, Jan, in '88 and a son-in-law, John Ragan, the following year. Don began to exhibit his work at regional carving shows and earned commissions from private parties, as well as businesses, including Portland Brewing and a Portland-area Krispy Kreme. Don and Diane often worked on joint projects, with Don doing the woodwork and Diane the brushwork.

In 1994, the Florens sold the house in Beaverton-a 33-year labor of love that had once been featured in the Oregonian's "Home" section. They moved to Garden Home, where they had a large art studio built adjacent to the existing house. Here they spent countless hours over the next 21 years, happily creating together. Diane continued to teach, as much for the camaraderie as anything; many of her students had become dear friends over the years, and she celebrated their accomplishments as much as her own.

As the new millennium dawned, Don and Diane became grandparents and got to experience the wonders of the world anew through the eyes of twins, Delaney and Riley. As the grandkids grew, "Grams" and "Grandpa" became superfans of their various sports activities--everything from t-ball and kick-and-chase soccer to high school and college basketball.

In 2015, Don and Diane downsized once again, relocating to a cottage on Cascade Way in the Hillside Retirement Community in McMinnville. And, once again, they could not leave a house well enough alone, installing new flooring, ceiling beams, and other decorative colonial touches, imprinting their brand of "home." Don became active in "The Strummers" ukulele group, the woodshop, and a writing group, where he focused on poetry. Diane helped establish a painting studio for the community. When summer rolled around, they both turned rabid bocce ballers. Eventually, their health required them to transition to assisted living, where they still enjoyed drop-ins from friends, lunches with visiting family in The Bistro, and playing-or sometimes just watching-bocce ball. Their years at Hillside, especially on Cascade Way, were truly some of the happiest of their lives.

In 2024, they made their last home on this earth at Cedar Crest Alzheimer's facility in Tualatin. It was a place where they could be closer to family, safely looked after, and, most importantly, not be split up. Don passed away on November 2, 2024. Diane followed shortly after on January 16, 2025. They are survived by their children, Gregg (Jan), and April (John Ragan); grandchildren, Delaney and Riley Ragan; sisters-in-law, Kathleen (Fred) Vinton and Anne Hay (Joe Floren); and nine nieces and nephews. They were preceded in death by their parents; Don's brother, Joe; and Diane's brother, Winfred "Fred" Vinton.

We celebrate these two souls together through more than seven decades, through thick and thin, through childrearing, home remodeling, and chronic illness. They loved each other, their family-including dogs Tigger, Raisin, and Tally--and their dear friends. They loved dancing and making beautiful things, and their home. In later years, they loved simply sitting outside, feeling the warmth of the sun, listening to the friendly click-clack of the aspens in the breeze, and watching clouds.

The family would like to give special thanks to the staff at both Hillside Assisted Living and Cedar Crest Alzheimer's Unit, as well as to HelloCare of McMinnville and Brighton Hospice. Donations can be made in Don and Diane's name to either the Alzheimer's Association or to Lewis & Clark College.