Shimeles Gessesse (August 06, 1954 – July 23, 2007)
KEIZER, OREGON – Shimeles Gessesse (Shimmy) was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on August 6, 1954. He came to the United States in 1975 to attend Oregon College of Education (now WOU) in Monmouth, Oregon. He married his wife of 27 years, Juli Hinkley, on August 30, 1980, and they graduated from OCE in 1981. Shimmy played soccer of OCE and later coached the men’s soccer team, as well as helped to start a women’s soccer team.
While Shimmy worked for the Department of Corrections in Salem for 21 years, he also actively supported the growth of the Ethiopian/African community in Portland. He helped many refugees successfully rebuild their lives in America. He also established the Abyssinia Soccer Club, which he built to be an outstanding team that participates in a local Portland soccer league. He was also a founding member of the Ethiopian Sports Federation in North American (esfna.org), whose annual soccer tournament is a highlight of Abyssinia Soccer Club season.
Shimmy was greatly loved by countless people, whose lives were touched by his enduring kindness and generosity. Shimmy’s heart held an endless amount of compassion for friends and strangers, alike. He will be dearly missed by those of us he has left behind, as he takes his place with God in Heaven.
Shimmy was preceded in death by his father, Gessesse Shebeshi.
He is survived by his mother, Weynitu Yohannes; his wife, Juli; daughter, Abyssinia; son, Noah; and son, HaileGabriel. He is also survived by his brothers, Tedla, Adamassu, Tameru, Ayele, Ambacho, and Tewedros; and sisters, Kokebe and Mulumebet.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, August 3 at the Maranatha Church, 4222 NE 12th Ave., Portland.
The burial will follow at 1:30 p.m. at the Rose City Cemetery, 5625 NE Fremont, Portland.
Source: Statesman Journal