Obituary of Gregory Thomas Herman
Gregory Thomas Herman, 30, passed away on the evening of Wednesday, Oct 27th at his home in Portland, Oregon.
Greg had recently returned to Portland to live with his sister, brother-in-law, niece, and nephew. He spent his weekends helping to remodel their new family home together; he had a particular gift for demolition.
Prior to returning to Portland, Greg spent several years in turn with his biological father in Des Moines, Iowa and his biological mother in Charlotte, North Carolina. He valued the opportunity to get to know his parents as an adult, and to learn more about where and who he came from.
Greg valued family and authenticity above all else, and had staunch beliefs about what each of those meant.
Greg’s greatest passion was art, both his own and that of others. In Summer and Fall of 2021 he constructed what would be hIs last pieces of art: a coffee table made of discarded tree limbs, and a large mural behind his sisters home. He had also begun re-reading The Complete I-Ching and The World as Will and Representation, two of his favorite philosophical books.
Anyone who spent time with Greg quickly learned of his deep love for anime and stand-up comedy. His vast knowledge of both was a wellspring for his gift of turning the mundane, the tragic, and the bizarre into hilarious one-liners.
In the decade leading up to his passing, Greg struggled to find the balance between his desire to be a traditionally successful adult man and his desire to focus solely on his passion for art and nature, between his desire to be deeply rooted in a family as his authentic self and his need to fight his battles alone.
For those who loved him, and there are many, Greg was perfect: the best uncle and brother; a friend who was unwaveringly willing to accept folks as they are and always there to lend a supportive, non-judgmental ear to any who needed it.
Greg gave this life his best, which was always enough.
The family invites all those who wish to express sympathy to consider donating to the Greg Herman Scholarship Fund at Arc-en-Ciel Montessori School - 26 NE Morris St, Portland OR 97212 - arcencielmontessori@gmail.com
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