NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS | December 18 , 2015 | PAGE 7
IN MEMORIAM
Ronald E. Fortune
April 21, 1936 - Nov. 25, 2015
Ron Fortune, a retired
executive secretary-
treasurer of the North-
west Oregon Labor
Council (NOLC),
passed away Nov. 25
due to complications
from Alzheimer’s dis-
ease. He was 79.
Fortune, who lived in Gre-
sham, led NOLC from 1985 un-
til 1998, when he retired. He
was a 59-year member of the
United Food and Commercial
Workers (UFCW) union, join-
ing Portland Food and Drug
Clerks Local 1092 in 1956. He
worked as a business rep for that
local starting in 1969. Local
1092 is now part of UFCW Lo-
cal 555.
R ONALD E DWARD F ORTUNE
was born April 21, 1936 in
Chicago, Illinois, the youngest
of seven children — five broth-
ers and a sister. His father was a
“union man,” working in the
coal mines, as a street sweeper,
truck driver and carpenter.
The Fortune family moved to
Newberg, Oregon, in 1947.
As a student at Newberg High
School, Fortune took a part-time
job at a nut packing plant, where
he became a member of the
Teamsters Union. After graduat-
ing, he worked at a paper plant
in Newberg and was a member
of the Pulp Workers.
In 1956, Fortune took a
temporary job as a clerk in a
Safeway store in Hillsboro.
There, he joined Local
1092. That job eventually
led into a career in the
union. He was hired as a
business rep in 1969, and
was elected to the top post of
NOLC in 1985, succeeding Lo-
cal 1092 colleague Lon Imel.
Fortune came into office
when the labor council—then
known as the Multnomah
County Labor Council—was
about to merge with councils
from Columbia and Clackamas
counties to create the Northwest
Oregon Labor Council.
During his 13 years at the
helm of NOLC, Fortune helped
launch a Labor History Com-
mittee, a Retirees Council, a La-
bor in the Schools program, a
Saturn/Labor’s Community
Service Agency partnership, and
the Labor Bowl Challenge for
Muscular Dystrophy. He was a
founding member of the Busi-
ness Union and Legislative
Leaders (BULL) Session golf
tournament, which has raised
more than $5.5 million for local
children’s charities.
He helped persuade congres-
sional officeholders to hire labor
liaisons to keep in touch with
the council and organized labor.
He regularly scheduled labor
breakfasts with elected officials
and union officers so that they
could share their views on issues
and concerns.
He was appointed by Gov.
John Kitzhaber to serve on the
Oregon Economic Development
Commission. Portland Mayor
Bud Clark tapped him for the
Portland Leadership Round-
table. And he was a member of
Metro’s Metropolitan Exposi-
tion-Recreation Commission.
He also served on the Executive
Board of United Way of the Co-
lumbia-Willamette, and was
chair of Labor’s Community
Service Agency.
Fortune was inducted into the
NOLC Retirees Council’s Labor
Hall of Fame in December
1999.
In retirement, Fortune was
active in the St. Henry Catholic
Church of Gresham. He volun-
teered regularly at a local soup
kitchen and at SnowCap.
Fortune is survived by his
wife of 58 years, Kathleen
(Fugere); five daughters, two
sons; 21 grandchildren; and two
great-grandchildren.
Happy
HOLIDAYS
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