Karen Fishel, z”l, passed away March 1, 2022. She is survived by her brother, Brad Fishel (Susan); her nephews, Simon (Shannon) and Noah Fishel; her grandnieces, Nora and Quinn Fishel; her cousins, Barb Lovre, Julie Leuvrey, Dan Saltzman, Jeff Saltzman, Bernie Druck, Jackie Druck, and Peggy Spott; her sisters-of-the-heart, Barb Attridge, Tami French, Sandra Etlinger and Linda Schaefers; and by multitudes of other friends who loved her dearly.
Karen was born in Portland on March 28, 1948. She grew up at Congregation Beth Israel. Her brother was a longtime board member of Cedar Sinai Park, and Karen was a longtime supporter of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland.

In the early days of her career, Karen worked at Nike in football promotions, but her passion for helping others less fortunate soon took her on a lifelong path in the nonprofit sector, serving on boards and fundraising for various causes she loved. The ultimate expression of her life’s passion was co-founding Dress for Success Oregon in 1998 with her good friend, Barb Attridge.
As co-founder of Dress for Success Oregon, Karen devoted herself to creating a space where women could redefine themselves, emerge from poverty or addiction or abuse, gain self-confidence and self-worth, and fulfill their dreams of success. She empathized with every woman’s story, cried with them when things were sad, laughed with them when they improved and celebrated their new place in the world.

Karen raised significant funding for Dress for Success; she had a way of finding people and convincing them to join her in her good works. She could turn the most reluctant philanthropist into an enthusiastic donor with her tenacity, charm and passion. In 2016, she was honored with the Portland First Citizen Award with Barb Attridge for founding Dress for Success. She has left us an important legacy.
In addition to Dress for Success, Karen consistently sought ways to have a meaningful impact on our community, particularly helping women and children, and animals. She was the first person each year to adopt a family at Christmas and convince others to do the same. Karen's love of animals led her to donate often to Go Fund Me sites for people who needed help with vet bills. She exhibited deep concern and kindness for others in so many ways that it is hard to describe them adequately. Her devotion to dogs was unparalleled. Her Facebook page was often filled with photos of lost or lonely dogs looking for homes. Her beloved Tibetan Terriers, Acey and Archie, filled her life with joy and connection.
The perfect tribute to celebrate Karen's life – a fundraising event in her honor for a cause she loved – will be at the annual Dress for Success gala, which is called Celebrate Success, on Friday May 13. If you would like to attend or make a donation in Karen's honor, visit avstream.me/celebratesuccess.