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Kristine Starr Beam Obituary

Brought to you by Mt Scott Funeral Home

Kristine Starr Beam

Portland, OR

July 24, 1957 - July 8, 2020

Kristine Starr Beam Obituary

An Obituary for Our Beloved, Kris Beam After an eight-year battle with chronic pain, Kristine Starr Beam chose to pass on from her body. On July 6, 2020 she walked peacefully into the waters of the Willamette River, along which she spent so much of her life. Kris was born in Portland, Oregon on July 24,1957 to Sharon and Jim Yoes. She was the middle of three kids, between her older brother Pat and younger brother Dan. Kris loved water. While growing up in southwest Portland she swam laps in the family pool for fun, exercise, and to de-stress. She and her family also skied on the frozen, crystalline waters of Mt Hood. She graduated from Sunset High School in 1975 and after a year at Portland Community College transferred to the University of Oregon. At the age of 19, she and future-husband Rick met while waterskiing on the Willamette River. Their relationship grew during college with happy memories inner tubing on the Willamette and trips to the coast, especially to Heceta Head. After graduating with a degree in education, Kris and Rick lived together in Portland until he completed medical school. They were married in 1984. Then they were off to Wisconsin for three years for residency, where Kris taught first at a school in Milwaukee and later at a rural parochial school. During their time in the Midwest, they were lucky to experience the region’s many rivers and lakes. Missing the Northwest, they returned to Portland and settled in West Linn. Kris’ water broke twice, heralding the arrival of Michelle in 1987 and Ryan in 1991. During her early years as a mother, she took up windsurfing, most often in the Columbia River Gorge, which holds an especially special place in the hearts of Kris and her family. During this time there were also many joyous trips to the family beach house in Rockaway. Through the years there was plenty of camping, rafting, kayaking, snorkeling, swimming, and stand-up paddle boarding. And, of course, Kris also loved hot bubble baths, showers, and hot tubs. In addition to water, Kris loved people. She was incredibly social and would strike up a conversation with just about anyone. She leaves behind a network of amazing friends, especially in the West Linn area. Kris was a person who saw the true nature of things. In her paid work as a reading teacher she looked for the curiosity in struggling learners, seeking books that would spark excitement in her students’ hearts. Recently, one of her dearest students made it to college and she was so deeply proud. She was a creator of habitats that nurtured birds, bees, and her friends and family. Over 25 years she turned a basic suburban backyard into a certified, thriving haven for birds and other pollinators. To sit in her creation is to watch decades of love, care, and curiosity in bloom, while dozens of native species bask and zip around you. Kris was driven by a deep, authentic curiosity for her fellow human. She especially took an interest in each and every one of the many young people who came into her life as they flowed through life’s phases. Many people say that they felt authentically seen by Kris and that in her they could see and feel an amazing joie de vivre. Her child-like silliness and playfulness sent her bounding up hills, mooning people on road trips, and standing elated on peaks, even between periods of deep struggle with chronic pain. She threw a mean dinner party, and if you were a close friend closing the book on another decade, she was liable to throw you the birthday party of your life. She was a great facilitator of connection and a central binding force for her blood family and her chosen family. Everyone knows Kris would have demanded this entire month of July be in celebration of her birthday. Not because she was self-centered but because she seized every opportunity to bring people together, again and again and again. Kris found enjoyment in gardening, games, puzzles, small dogs (wieners, bichons, and mini-labradoodles), bike rides, red wine, mahjong, and fart machines. Eight years ago she developed excruciating, debilitating back pain. Despite courageously fighting through three surgeries and pursuing many strategies for healing, she continued to suffer prolonged flares of pain. The depth of her pain was often obscured by her beauty, smile, ferocious perseverance, grit, deep motivation to see her dreams come to fruition, and her desire to be present with her loved ones. She struggled and thrived through so many years thanks in large part to the many wonderful people in her community who showed up for her time and time again. Always brave, and always poetic, Kris chose to end her life by returning to the waters of the Willamette. Kris leaves behind her parents Sharon and Jim Yoes, the love of her life and husband Rick, her daughter who she loved to the moon and back, Michelle, her son and sunshine Ryan, brothers Pat and Dan Yoes, sisters-in-law Judi and Beth, nieces and nephews Carissa, Caitlin, Josh, Avery, and Drew, mother-in-law Ruth, and brother-in-law Roger Beam. A celebration of Kris' life will be held at a later date, yet to be determined. Kris and her family suggest remembrances go to Friends of the Columbia Gorge.

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Events

Event information can be found on the Official Obituary of Kristine Starr Beam.