Frederic Collazo

Nov. 28, 1946 - Feb. 24, 2024

Frederic Stanley Collazo, 77, passed away Saturday, February 24, 2024, under the care of hospice at Hopewell House in Portland OR, of cancer. Fred is survived by his wife and loving partner of 41 years, Wendy Moidel; his brother Tom (Debbie) Collazo of Tucson AZ; his three sisters, Libby Koenig of White Marsh MD, Maria (Paul) Pierce of New Market MD, and Tina Collazo of Tucson AZ; his cousins Doug (Karen) Sorhagen of Parsippany NJ, and Leslie DeSessa of Fayetteville NC. He also leaves behind many beloved nephews, nieces, cousins, and good friends. Fred was especially close to Wendy’s family and is survived by Steve and Gayle Moidel of Westlake Village CA, Jeff Moidel and Scott Tapp of Snohomish WA, and Florence Moidel of Delray Beach FL. Fred was preceded in death by his father Agustin, his mother Elizabeth (nee Gibson), his brothers David and Steven, his brother-in-law Fred Koenig, and his aunt Edith Krannich. Fred was born in Newark NJ, on November 28, 1946 and spent his youth in New Jersey, Baltimore and Miami. As an adult he traveled the country, settling for a while in Tucson AZ and Birmingham AL. He attended Miami Dade Community College and Florida State University, receiving his BA degree in Government in 1969. Decades later he discovered and developed a hidden talent for mediating conflicts. For years he volunteered at Lincoln Community Dispute Resolution, helping people and groups resolve their differences. Fred was a natural-born peacemaker. In 1982 Fred moved to the small coastal town of Newport OR where he met his soulmate and future wife Wendy. They bought an historic one-room schoolhouse in nearby Logsden, alongside the Siletz River. They spent the next 38 years living a rural lifestyle surrounded by acres of countryside and a family of friends. It was a life of wood stove fires, elk herds, and endless home renovation. Fred deeply loved that land and talked about the fir trees that grew high above the river as “sentinels” watching over us all. In 2022 he and Wendy retired to Wilsonville OR, the same town where they had married on September 4, 2000. Fred’s second “home” at the coast was Lincoln County Transit. He served as Operations Supervisor and worked there for more than 20 years. Before that he was self-employed in the field of health supplements and other entrepreneurial ventures. For a while, he managed a kite shop and flew kites on the beach for a living. In his earlier years he co-owned a popular nightclub and ran political campaigns. From construction to landscaping to painting murals to driving a taxi, Fred has worn many hats. He was a “Renaissance Man” of sorts, embracing progressive politics, wholistic living, and free thinking. He was a lifelong learner, a voracious reader, and an avid solver of New York Times crossword puzzles. He listened to Steely Dan, R. Carlos Nakai, instrumental jazz, and classical music. He wore baseball caps and rooted for the Beavers and the Blazers. He loved breakfast. To his wife he gave red roses every birthday, anniversary, and Valentine’s Day, even from his hospital bed, even at the end. From the time of Fred’s diagnosis, he bore the challenges of his illness with courage and determination. He was a gentle person. A caring listener to anyone who had challenges. He was the loyalest of friends. As his brother wrote at the close of a heartfelt message, “We all loved Fred so much. He was a great soul.” One last fact about Fred. Many of the major milestones in Fred’s life aligned with major holidays, days set aside to celebrate or remember. To those who loved him this quirk seemed to underline and put in bold his specialness. Fred was born on Thanksgiving, he fell in love on Easter, got married on Labor Day. On Christmas Eve he was diagnosed with cancer. Fred left us two months to the day later on a full moon. There is a lullaby about the moon that Fred’s Mother sang to him as a baby. She said - “I see the moon - the moon sees me - the moon sees somebody I want to see. - God bless the moon - and God bless me - and God bless the somebody I want to see.” …Sleep well, darling man. A Celebration of Life will be planned at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to Friends of Hopewell House - 6171 Southwest Capitol Highway, Portland, OR 97239. https://hopewellhousepdx.org/give/#ways