Mildred Louise Strebin

Published 5:41 pm Friday, June 27, 2025

Mildred Louise Strebin
April 9, 1927 to May 31, 2025

Mildred Louise Strebin, 98, of Gresham, OR, passed away peacefully on May 31, 2025 after a long and fulfilling life. She spent her final hours surrounded by the caring voices and loving touch of family and friends.

Mildred was born on April 9, 1927 to Vera May and Frederick (Fred) Hewgley in Bellingham, WA. She spent much of her childhood working to help support the family along with her sisters Margaret (Margie), Dorothy, Lois and Patsy, and brothers Bernard and William (Bill). After being named “Senior Class Brain,” Mildred graduated from Gresham High School in 1945 and received a scholarship to attend Reed College. She left college early to take a job at the Reynolds Aluminum plant in Troutdale to help support her mother.

It was there that she met John (Jack) Curtis Strebin Jr., whom she married on May 20, 1948 in Gresham and together they had three children, Jackie, Daniel and Kathryn (Kathy/Kat). She was a gifted orchid enthusiast and a very active member of the Powell Valley Garden Club for many decades, serving as club president from 1962-64, as well as holding roles of vice president and committee chair over the years. She was widowed in 1970, and raised her 3 children as a single mother from then on.

She spent the next 20 years working for JC Penny’s, becoming a lead salesperson in appliances, while also selling real estate on the side. After retiring in 1989, she worked tirelessly on her beautiful yard, always cultivating a colorful wonderland of flowers and lush gardens. She especially enjoyed spending time with her best friend Dorene Paulsen and her many local family members. She also enjoyed beach-combing, bird-watching, rock-hunting, and generally appreciating the beauty of nature. She was an avid crossword puzzler and always quick-witted, hard-working, and a very strong and independent woman who loved above all else to be with family and friends whenever possible. Her last few years were spent under the compassionate and attentive care of her daughter and son-in-law, Kat and Gordon Collins, in their home in Los Gatos, CA.

Mildred was predeceased by her parents Vera May and Fred, her husband Jack, her eldest daughter Jackie and her siblings, Bernard, Margie, Dorothy, Lois, and Patsy. She is survived by her brother William (Bill) Hewgley, her daughter Kathryn (Kathy/Kat) Collins, her son Daniel Strebin, her six grandchildren: Amy Ihde, Maggie and Myfawny (Andy) Hopkins, Patrick and Katy Collins, Vanessa Strebin, and her 4 great-grandchildren: Charlie and Eloise Ihde, Wynn Griffith and Ariah Kay Hopkins Danaher.

The family suggests any memorial contributions be made in her honor to: Friends of Multnomah Falls, friendsofmultnomahfalls.org, P.O. Box 426, Troutdale, OR 97060.