Daniel Monroe Ferguson

Daniel Monroe Ferguson (Danny) was born March 19th, 1933. He passed away August 13th with his loved ones by his side at his home in Scappoose after a brief hospital stay.

He was born in Portland to Gladys and William Ferguson, however, he and his sister were raised by their grandparents, Lulu and Thaddeus Glass, and aunt Irene, after losing their mother when Danny was 10 months old. He grew up in the Arbor Lodge neighborhood and graduated from Peninsula Grade School in 1947 and Benson High School in 1952. He loved to swim and spent his summers at the Columbia Park pool, building forts, putting on comic strip shows which he projected and charged buttons to other neighborhood kids for admission.

He went to work for Bonneville Power Administration right out of high school and worked there for the next 37 years (this included his two year military service at the Presidio of San Francisco).

He married his wife Susan on July 20, 1963. They had two daughters, Keri born in 1966 and Heath two years later. He built their family home in North Portland where they lived until moving to Scappoose in 1972. They divorced January 4th, 1982.

He kept busy after his retirement in 1989 at age 56 by serving a stint as a photographer for the Scappoose Spotlight, creating logos/signs under the name Penguin Graphics, driving seniors to various destinations in the Scappoose Senior Center’s van as a volunteer. He put a lot of labor into landscaping his garden and put the carpentry skills learned at Benson High School to good use in remolding his Scappoose home. He was a very creative person who loved music, photograph and art, especially design and calligraphy. He fueled his interest by taking several Portland Art Museum classes.

In 2003, his sister Lurene introduced him to his soon to be longtime partner Li Detsch, and they spent the next nearly 20 years happily doing projects, traveling, enjoying their families, and generally having the time of their life.

All his life he had an affinity for animals especially dogs and always had at least one; the latest being his beloved Longhaired Chihuahuas’ Rosie, Teddy and Bear. Everyone who knew Danny loved his gentle, kind and soft-spoken way. He is hugely missed and will be un our hearts forever.

In addition to his parents, Danny was predeceased by his sister Lurene who died earlier this year. He leaves behind daughters Keri and Heather and his partner Liz, as well as two granddaughters and three grandsons. There will be a celebration of his life with family and friends in midsummer 2023.