Obituary of Brian Lee Boucher

In Loving Memory of Brian Lee Boucher July 2, 1951 – September 28, 2023 Brian Lee Boucher, 72, suffered a heart attack on September 19 while fishing. He was surrounded by his family and friends in the hospital until he went to Heaven on September 28. Born on July 2, 1951 to Arthur Lee and Barbara Boucher in Pasadena, CA, Brian was the oldest of three boys. He spent the majority of his childhood in Menlo Park, CA alongside his two younger brothers, David and Jim. Brian loved to fish from a young age, a sport he learned from his mother. Following in his father’s footsteps, Brian became a competitive tennis player. He was a dedicated athlete, putting in the time and practice, no matter what the sport was. After being recruited to play tennis for the Ducks, Brian went to the University of Oregon Honors College and started volunteering as a Young Life leader in Cottage Grove. As a college student, he was drawn to other people’s stories and to God’s bigger story. Brian met the love of his life and best friend, Caron Currier, at Menlo Atherton High School at the age of 16. They were an adventurous young couple who loved the outdoors, backpacking and exploring the earth’s natural beauty and were married in 1973, settling in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Brian became a passionate and patient 8th grade language arts and social studies teacher at Lake Oswego Junior High School and later became a soccer coach at Lake Oswego High School. One of Brian and Caron’s first adventures after settling in Lake Oswego was becoming mountaineer guides at Young Life’s Beyond Malibu Club in the breathtaking Princess Louisa inlet in British Columbia. They both felt close to creation and God in those places. During those summers as a guide, Brian listened to and internalized hundreds of young backpackers’ “life stories.” As a result of relationships made on those trips, they started a fellowship group that continues on to this day. Their next big adventure was becoming parents to Nate (1980) and Emily (1983). Having children did not slow down their love of travel and adventure. The family spent summers exploring the outdoors and fishing together in Idaho and Montana, often camping in their beloved VW Westfalia van. Brian never tired of fly fishing in beautiful rivers while contemplating life. He also never missed an opportunity to spend quality time with his family and friends. He lived for these moments, and it was obvious he cherished them. When at home, he often awoke early to fish on the Willamette River with friends, catching “whoppers.” He made hundreds of trips to fly fish on the Deschutes River, one of his favorite places in Oregon. Brian and nature were inseparable. Brian retired in 2003 after 20 years of coaching and 30 years of teaching. He then served as Area Director for Young Life in Lake Oswego, a ministry he had been involved with since high school. Brian, ever interested in making new friends, loved to connect with middle and high schoolers on a spiritual level. He yearned to show them how loved they were, and he truly cared for each one. He had a lot of fun along the way, teaming up with wonderful volunteer leaders to come alongside dozens of kids every week for clubs, sporting events, and summer camps. One of the greatest joys of his life was becoming a grandpa, lovingly called “Papa” by his grandchildren, Talula (10), Micah (9), Madelyn (9) Josiah (7) and Olive (6). He was an active part of their daily lives and they candidly adored him. He snuggled them, taught them how to fish, read to them, and loved them in a way no one else could. He took them all on many memorable family trips. Following retirement, Brian and Caron also continued to adventure on their own to places like New Zealand, Fiji, Mexico, Hawaii and Europe. They also discovered beautiful landscapes, rivers and mountains to hike throughout the Western United States. Over the years, when he found free time, Brian would spend hours working in his garden. He became an expert at growing tomatoes, berries, apples, flowers and much more. His garden was a thing of beauty, often causing people to stop and admire. He generously shared his bounty with friends and neighbors. He was passionate about taking care of the earth and the people on it. Brian and Caron spent the month of August celebrating 50 eventful years of marriage. They traveled back to California to see one of their favorite artists, James Taylor in concert at Stanford, where Brian proposed to Caron. Then they went to the Silver Creek Nature Preserve in Idaho with some of their closest friends and volunteered for two weeks. Brian lived his life to the fullest, making the most of each day. He was a man who loved well and was well loved. He will be deeply missed. He is survived by his wife, son Nate (Sarah), daughter Emily Tuttle (Matt), brothers David (Susan), Jim (Renee), Mark (Irina) and his five grandchildren (Taluala, Micah, Mdelyn, Josiah and Olive). A Celebration of Life for Brian will take place at Southlake Church in West Linn, Oregon on Sunday, October 15th at 3:00pm. If you’d like to make a donation, here are some things that were near and dear to Brian’s heart…. Dynasty House www.dynastyhouse.org Beyond Malibu https://beyondmalibu.younglife.org/give/ Silver Creek Nature Preserve 208-350-2213