John Wish

John R. Wish was born on November 7, 1934 in Bellefontaine, Ohio and died at home in Portland, Oregon on December 2, 2022. He was 88 years old.

John was a retired Professor of Business and Economics who taught at the University of Oregon, George Fox University, Lewis and Clark College, Bowling Green State University in Ohio, and the University of Otago in New Zealand. He also started and led an executive MBA program at the University of Rhode Island.

John grew up in Bellefontaine, Ohio, working with his parents at the family-owned Hopewell Dairy. He received his BS and MBA from The Ohio State University, where he met the love of his life, Mary Ann Seth. They were married in 1957. John served 2 years in the Air Force, stationed in Colville, Washington. He earned his Ph.D. at Michigan State University.

In addition to teaching, John loved to read, travel, mentor his children and grandchildren, see movies and plays, and discuss history, politics, and ideas for making the world a better place. After retirement, John took on many volunteer projects, including trail maintenance at Mt. Tabor Park, advocacy for improved emergency response to accident victims, and work with the Portland water bureau as a “citizen advocate” for rate payers. He also enjoyed vegetable gardening, walking and bicycling.

After growing up in an evangelical church, and then attending the Presbyterian church with Mary Ann for many years, John became a member of Multnomah Friends Meeting in 1996. While teaching at George Fox University in the early 1990’s, his university colleague (and former student) Tom Head suggested he might be interested in checking out Multnomah Meeting. In a 2009 profile in the Meeting newsletter, John reported that he found he was able to accept responsibility for finding faith in the unprogrammed quietness of Quaker worship; that he could learn from the Queries and from the Sunday morning adult discussion group (known by its acronym “SMAD”); and that he could even love and respect those with whom he disagreed. John often spoke of people with whom he had strong disagreements as his “teachers;” he did not shy away from conflict or avoid people with difficult behaviors, but sought to resolve conflicts and help people in both practical and spiritual ways.

John was instrumental in the renovation and expansion of the Multnomah Friends Meeting Meetinghouse in 2006-2007, including his successful advocacy to sell (for the grand total of $1) and move, rather than demolish, the small house next door that the Meeting owned. He served on Property, Finance, Nominating and the Building Fundraising committees, and undertook many quiet acts of kindness toward individual Meeting members and attenders in need. One notable example was his frequent visitation in prison over a two-year period with a Meeting attender who had been wrongfully convicted.

In both meeting for worship and in business meeting, John would periodically ask the question, “What does it mean to be a Friend?” His own answers, and his own life’s example, invariably included compassion, kindness and generosity of spirit, along with unflinching honesty.

John led a long, busy life, full of work, service to his community, and love for his family. A celebration of his life, well-attended by family, friends and members of the local Quaker community, was held at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Portland, on January 28, 2023. He will be greatly missed by his many friends and loved ones.

Respectfully submitted, Lyn Gordon, Clerk, Care and Counsel Committee