Obituary of Steven Ryan Clement

Steven “Steve” Ryan Clement, 62, of Oregon City, OR, passed away on January 30, 2020, of a sudden heart attack while skiing at Mt. Hood Meadows. He had always wished that, when the time came, he could pass quickly and while doing something he loved. He lived true to one of his mottos: “Growing old is inevitable, but growing up is optional.” Steve was a beloved husband, father, grandfather “Grampy”, son, brother, uncle, cousin, mentor, family figure, and friend. He impacted so many lives with his passion, fun, unconditional love, and acceptance of all. He cared deeply about everyone in his life and sought to help those around him thrive. Steve was born on August 24, 1957, to Edland “Ed” Arthur Clement and Janis Vivian (Alexander) Clement in Portland, Oregon. He spent his childhood in Portland's Hollywood District and graduated from Benson High School in 1975. He went on to serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Arizona Holbrook Mission where he learned how to speak Navajo. On March 22, 1986, Steve married his sweetheart Bonnie Jean Brown in the Seattle LDS Temple. They were blessed with nearly 34 years of marriage and two wonderful sons, Ryan and Aaron. Family was everything to Steve. Steve started out as a journeyman welder, but he spent the majority of his professional career as a mechanical engineer. He worked for Precision Castparts Corp. for 35 years. In 2003, 14 years into his working career, he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Manufacturing Engineering Technology from Oregon Institute of Technology. He was given the Space Flight Awareness Honoree Award in recognition of his dedication, commitment to excellence, and his achievements in support of NASA’s space program. He spent his final days of work passing on his 35 years of knowledge before retiring on January 6, 2020. Although he had retired, he wanted to continue passing on his knowledge and was preparing to work as a consultant. Adventurous throughout his life, Steve was always trying new things. He enjoyed mountain climbing, backpacking, hiking, kayaking, dirt biking, rafting, rock climbing, skiing, bungee jumping, skydiving, mountain biking, zip-lining, cliff jumping, bridge jumping, caving, river floating, canoeing, kayaking, camping, racquetball, the list goes on. In his youth, he loved street-racing his green, 383 4-speed '69 Roadrunner. As he got older, he enjoyed driving around in his red, ‘64 Buick Skylark convertible and a variety of trucks through the years. Around the house, he enjoyed working on his dirt bikes, using his power washer, fixing things, joking around, playing with grandkids, watching movies and shows, and eating treats. Taking trips and planning family vacations were always big highlights and frequently done throughout Steve’s life. Every summer, he organized busy, adventurous family reunions. These were generally week-long campouts with activities planned each day. So many of these activities brought him joy from the mundane world. Steve summited every major peak in Oregon and several in Washington. He shared his knowledge and experience by guiding youth, scouts, family members, and friends to the summits. Steve was able to share many of these activities as he was actively involved in the Boy Scouts for nearly 25 years and youth programs through his church for much of that time. A former Eagle Scout himself, Steve passed on his knowledge of scouts and the outdoors while leading trips of skiing, river rafting, backpacking, climbing Mt. Hood, and other high adventures. Few things in this life brought him more joy than teaching new generations of youth to enjoy adventure in the outdoors. Steve is preceded in death by his father, Edland “Ed” Clement, and his brother, Alan Clement. Steve is survived by his wife, Bonnie Brown Clement; his sons, Ryan Clement (Krista Housley) and Aaron Clement (Ariel Mead); his grandchildren, Clyde Clement, Benjamin Clement and Samuel Clement; his mother, Janis Alexander Clement; his siblings, Jeffrey “Jeff” Clement (Karen Martin), Kevin Clement (Mollie Helms), and Karen Clement Swinkels; his many in-laws; his many nieces and nephews; and his many friends. The celebration of life will be held at 11 am on February 22, 2020, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 14340 South Donovan Rd, Oregon City, OR 97045. All those touched by Steve's life are invited to attend. The burial will be at Mt. View Cemetery at 10 am on Monday, February 24, 2020.