lit a candle 20d agoMy mom called me about this one, not because we knew him, just because she'd seen his obituary in the Gresham paper and it stuck with her. Landscaping and gardening his whole life, and taking care of his mother till the end. Something about that made her tear up on the phone and now I'm sitting here in my kitchen abroad feeling it too.
Their story
Bryan David Blefgen was a longtime resident of the Gresham and Portland area of Oregon, remembered by family and friends as a devoted son and brother with a quiet, caring nature. He was not a public figure in the conventional sense, there is no Wikipedia entry or wider press coverage…
Bryan David Blefgen was a longtime resident of the Gresham and Portland area of Oregon, remembered by family and friends as a devoted son and brother with a quiet, caring nature. He was not a public figure in the conventional sense, there is no Wikipedia entry or wider press coverage of his life, and this page draws on the obituary published by his family through Bateman Carroll Funeral Home. He is included here because people have searched for him, and this page exists to answer those searches honestly.
Born on June 25, 1967, in Hermiston, Oregon, he was the youngest of four children of Edward Joseph Blefgen and Edna Margaret (Heise) Blefgen. The family later moved to the Portland area, and Bryan grew up in a home next to the Gresham Golf Course, where as a boy he collected and sold golf balls. He graduated from Sam Barlow High School in 1986 and went on to work in landscaping and gardening around the Portland and Gresham area for much of his adult life.
Bryan was known for his loyalty to family. After his father died, he took on the role of caring for his mother, Edna, sharing a home with her in Gresham and giving her companionship in her later years until her own death. Those who knew him describe a compassionate man who loved his parents, his pets, and his extended family. His interests included riding motorcycles, golfing, small engine repair, collecting memorabilia, fireworks, trips to the Oregon coast, and Sunday afternoon drives with his mother.
Bryan David Blefgen died on July 4, 2026, at the age of 59. His death was announced through an obituary published by Bateman Carroll Funeral Home in Gresham, Oregon. No cause of death has been made public. He was preceded in death by his parents and by a nephew, Daniel, and is survived by his sister, two brothers, nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and his dog, Frankie.
There has been no public reaction beyond the family's obituary notice, and no reports from news outlets have been found covering his death. This page will be updated if further verified information, including details of any memorial service or the cause of death, becomes publicly available.
Biography adapted from News reports and the sources cited on this page; death reported by OregonLive.com.
That's exactly the kind of story that gets you, even secondhand.