Allene Mendelson Klass, a pioneer in the historic fight for reproductive rights, passed away Jan. 18, 2022. Allene is survived by her children, Gregory Klass, Daniel Klass, Kayla Reich, and Leah Klass; her grandchildren, Kamen Klass, Marley Klass, Lila Reich, Leila Klass, and Anisa Klass; and her brother, Robert Mendelson. She also leaves behind her Rottweiler, Honeybear.

She was known by her family to have a vibrancy of spirit that spread into every aspect of her life. Outside of her family, her achievements and hard work echoed across the United States and touched countless lives. Allene founded Lovejoy Surgicenter in 1971, becoming Oregon's first independent abortion service provider.
Allene was born Allene Rae Mendelson Oct. 7, 1938, in Portland to Al and Leona Mendelson. After completing high school, she attended University of California-Berkeley and University of Oregon to earn her Bachelor of Science and become a Registered Nurse. She met her future husband, Alvin Manly Klass, while in nursing school. After she finished college, she returned to her family business, a small rehabilitation hospital in Northwest Portland.
Allene married Alvin Sept. 4, 1960, in Portland. The couple exchanged vows at Temple Beth Israel, and their wedding was officiated by Rabbi Emanuel Rose.

In 1971, she had the opportunity to provide life-changing care to women. Allene and her mother established the first free-standing Ambulatory Surgical Center that provided abortion services in Oregon, beginning a lifetime of hard work and paving the way for reproductive freedom and social justice. Lovejoy Surgicenter allowed patients to be seen with the same quality of care as major hospitals, but at a lower cost. This provided an ideal setting to make abortions more readily available, changing the accessibility of needed procedures. "I had no idea what a big, important thing I was doing," Allene said in 1998, "Even though I would never need an abortion, I felt very strongly that it was a woman's right." Against bomb threats, arson, daily harassment, anthrax scares, death threats, and more, she persevered to maintain the rights of others. She continued this important work until she retired in 2021.
Allene traveled across Mexico, Israel, Italy, France, Egypt, the Dominican Republic and more. No one could deny her sense of fashion and how she carried herself with pride for her work and the life she had built. Allene had a bright smile that lit up any room and will always be remembered. She spent the last few years of her life living in Seaside, enjoying coastal living and sharing her home with friends and family.
A Celebration of Life is to be held in Portland in spring of 2022.