Brian Dudley Ratty

"With God’s Word as your map and His Spirit as your compass, you're sure to stay on course.”

Surrounded by his loving family and steadfast faith, following a stroke, Brian Dudley Ratty died peacefully on January 26, 2026, at age 83.

Brian was born to Dudley and Evelyn Ratty in Portland, Oregon, where he and his sister Diane were raised. Brian's love of the Oregon Coast was sparked at an early age, when the family moved to Seaside during World War ll, where his father was a civilian contractor at Tongue Point Naval Air Station. The family settled back in Portland, where Brian graduated from Wilson High School, already certain of his calling. That calling began in grade school when a teacher showed him how to load a film projector. From that moment on, Brian knew he would be a photographer and storyteller—and he never wavered.

After high school, Brian proudly served in the Oregon Air National Guard as a photo reconnaissance photographer and was activated during the Cuban Missile Crisis. A graduate of Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California, Brian built a career in commercial photography before founding Media West in Portland. For nearly 30 years, he, his wife, Tess, and their creative staff produced audio-visual programs and educational videos nationwide and were committed to community outreach. Brian valued working alongside his father on the construction of the Media West building in Beaverton, Oregon.

Brian and Tess were married at First Baptist Church in Portland. Together they shared 54 years of marriage and three daughters: Danean, Shannon, and Amy.

Brian and Tess retired to the North Oregon Coast, where they loved gathering family and friends for Brian's 'famous' macaroni salad, crab omelettes, pickled herring, and 'storytelling', grandchildren boat rides, and a good game of bingo!

Brian dedicated himself to writing and photography, becoming an award-winning author of ten books centered around Pacific Northwest history. He was deeply grateful for the support of coastal bookstores, libraries, and museums. He founded the “Writers at Work” group at the Seaside Public Library and was a Board of Directors member of the Seaside Museum and Historical Society. Over the years, he enthusiastically shared history through many author presentations, always saying, “I’m just a storyteller at best.”

Brian was preceded in death by his parents and his beloved son-in-law, Rob Waibel. He is survived by his wife, Tess; daughters Danean (Jeff) Peters, Shannon McBride, and Amy Nunn (Kelli); five grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; his sister, Diane (David) Buck, and brother-in-law, Scott McBride.

North Coast Family Fellowship has held a family service. We celebrate Brian’s life, his faith, his family, his friends, and his stories—where his legacy lives on.

Memorials may be made to North Coast Family Fellowship, the Seaside Library Friends & Foundation, or the Seaside Museum and Historical Society.