Former Oregon Senate President, Peter Courtney, passed away July 16, 2024, at his home in Salem surrounded by his family.

Courtney was born June 18, 1943, in Philadelphia, Pa., to William and Constance Courtney.

Peter, as he was known, was proud to say that he was raised in West "By God" Virginia, where he played multiple sports in high school. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Rhode Island and a juris doctorate from the Boston University School of Law.

He married Margie Brenden in 1976. The couple raised three sons in their north Salem home along the Willamette River.

Peter came to Oregon in July 1969 as a law clerk for Judge William S. Fort of the newly formed Oregon Court of Appeals. Peter lived for two years in a room at the Salem YMCA and became a huge supporter of the Y and its programs. He regularly exercised in its "spin" classes and won state funding to help pay for construction of a new YMCA facility on the same downtown Salem site. The new veteran's housing apartment building at the Y is named Courtney Place.

Peter was the longest serving legislator and longest tenured Senate President in Oregon's history. Beginning in 1981, he served seven terms in the Oregon House, the last four as leader of the Democratic caucus. He won a seat in the Oregon Senate in 1998, serving six terms. He was elected President by the evenly divided Senate in 2003 and served a record 20 years in the office.

Peter was a proud life-long Democrat but staunchly promoted bi-partisan cooperation in the Senate throughout his two decades at the helm. He often spoke of cooperation, respecting other viewpoints, and the power of compromise.

Peter was a champion for children, animal rights, earthquake preparedness, and mental health.

His efforts led to earthquake improvements to more than 450 critical public buildings, including schools, fire stations, hospitals, 911 call centers and the state capitol building.

Peter was a driving force in the construction of a new state mental health hospital in Oregon. The new facility opened in 2013, replacing the previous hospital built in 1883. At his urging, a memorial was created adjacent to the hospital to honor the more than 3,500 patients whose cremains were stored in copper canisters on the site. In July, the hospital and surrounding grounds were dedicated as the Peter Courtney Oregon State Hospital Campus.

He sponsored more than 200 bills which became law, including Oregon's first vote-by-mail legislation in 1981.

Peter worked for 30 years as an administrator and instructor at Western Oregon University. The university dedicated the Peter Courtney Health and Wellness Center in his honor in 2015. It is one of four facilities in the Willamette Valley that bear his name. They also include Courtney Place Veterans Housing at the Salem YMCA, the Peter Courtney Minto Island Bridge in Salem's Riverfront Park, and the Peter Courtney Salem Campus of the Oregon State Hospital.

He was a fixture in Oregon's Hood-to-Coast relay race and appeared in the 2011 documentary, Running Forward: Conquering Oregon's Hood-to-Coast Relay. He ran in the event 20 times, including in 2010 just 13 months after undergoing hip replacement surgery.

Peter enjoyed spending time with his family camping on the Snake and Metolius rivers, visiting the Oregon Coast and watching his sons play sports, attend college, and become fathers. He loved jet skiing on the Willamette River and enjoying coffee and cinnamon rolls with Margie.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Chris.

He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Margie; son, Peter and wife, Melinda, grandchildren, Brayden and Harper; son, Sean and wife, Darbi, grandchildren, Emersyn, Zaylie, Noah, and Avila; son, Adam and wife, Cierra, and grandson, Jasper; and brother, William Courtney; and dachshund, Dilly.

Services will be held July 30, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Mt. Angel. Rosary will begin at 10:30 a.m. followed by a funeral mass at 11 a.m. A public celebration of life will be held in Salem at a later date. Donations in remembrances can be made to Salem YMCA, Family Building Blocks, or the Oregon Humane Society Salem Campus.