Jeffry Gottfried, z”l, mentor, life-long student and champion of the natural world, died Sunday, July 7. He was at home, surrounded by family, after a three-year struggle with leukemia.

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Jeff came to Oregon for college and was captivated by its beauty and by the community he found. He studied science education and went on to lead educational programs at multiple museums, including OMSI. Jeff spent the last chapter of his career exploring Oregon's wild places with hundreds of young people through Educational Recreational Adventures, the nonprofit he founded. He was a fierce environmentalist and worked until his last moments to preserve the forests and waters of the Pacific Northwest.

The son of a Holocaust survivor and the husband of a cantor, Jeff was also deeply committed to his Jewish heritage. Emily Georges Gottfried, his wife of 32 years, died in 2013. He is survived by his daughters, Miriam and Benna; his partner, Marcia Danab; his brother, Bob; and his two beloved granddaughters. Donations can be made in his memory to the North Coast Land Conservancy.