Nick Fish, the longest tenured member of the current Portland City Council, died Thursday from cancer. He was 61.
Fish died at home surrounded by his loved ones, according to Sonia Schmanski, his chief of staff. He announced on Tuesday that he planned to resign in 2020 to continue to focus on his health while battling abdominal cancer, which he was diagnosed with in 2017.
“The family wanted me to convey publicly their thanks for all the words of love and encouragement sent to Nick since his resignation,” Schmanski said. "Nick called his 11 years of service on the Portland City Council ‘the great honor of my life.’”
He is survived by his wife, Patricia Schechter, and their two children, Maria and Chapin.
A beloved figure in and out of City Hall known for his steady hand and self deprecating sense of humor, Fish was a strong advocate for affordable housing, environmental protections and services to aid the houseless.
The son of a long-time congressman and native New Yorker, Fish graduated from Harvard University in 1981 and earned a law degree in 1986 from Northeastern University in Boston. He and his family moved to Portland in the 1990s after his wife was hired by Portland State University, where she remains a history professor.
Fish had a 20-year career as a lawyer representing health care workers and labor unions before joining the city council. He has also served on the Housing Authority of Portland, Multnomah County Task Force on Vital Aging and other advisory boards.
Fish first ran for city council in 2002 and lost to Randy Leonard. He lost again in 2004 to future mayor Sam Adams. Fish ran again in 2008 and won a city special election to complete the term of former commissioner Erik Sten, who resigned mid-way through his fourth term. Fish would go on to be reelected to full terms in 2010, 2014 and 2018. His current term was to expire at the end of 2022.
Fish most recently oversaw the Bureau of Environmental Services and Portland Parks & Recreation. He was previously the commissioner in charge of the Portland Fire Bureau and Water Bureau, and he helped create the Portland Housing Bureau in 2009.
Politics and engaging in public life were part of his DNA. An attorney and former public affairs TV host on public access, Fish loved to pontificate on issues of national or local importance. Fish particularly seemed to enjoy debating issues with journalists from all outlets citywide. He also loved to talk about his children.
He was an avid soccer fan, particularly fond of the University of Portland’s women and men’s teams.
Throughout his tenure, he embraced issues not typically seen as city policy, like the arts and issues surrounding the elderly.
In his statement Tuesday announcing his resignation, Fish cited the development of homelessness service center Bud Clark Commons and affordable housing projects Gray’s Landing and the Riverplace Parcel as key achievements. He also mentioned helping bring down water rate increases, adding 1,000 community garden plots and helping the Parks bureau create a new funding model.
Days before his death, he said the city is ahead of schedule on its goals to build 2,000 new units of housing linked to services that address chronic homelessness. He also said he hoped a new memorial is built to honor fallen firefighters and that the city would continue to address climate change and embrace collaboration and inclusivity.
Fish said was grateful for all the support he and his family received since his cancer diagnosis and called it a privilege to have been elected to the city council.
“Thank you for allowing me this honor, and for all that you do to make Portland special,” he said. “The future is bright.”
According to the city charter, the city council decides when to hold a special election to determine who will complete the rest of Fish’s term. That could be made a part of the May 19 primary election.
Fish’s council seat will remain vacant until another person is elected.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown said she will remember Fish most for his kindness.
“Nick Fish was a devoted public servant, and a true leader who cared so deeply about serving the people of Portland,” Brown said.
Mayor Ted Wheeler said Fish was “instrumental in shaping Portland for the better” and that he often went to the commissioner for guidance and advice.
“All of us who knew Nick understood how much he cared about his family, the city and his team,” Wheeler said. “Nick was a dear friend and a trusted public servant. He fiercely advocated for all Portlanders and always led with compassion, wit and intelligence.”
In a statement on Twitter, the Portland Fire Bureau said Fish frequently visited stations when he was in charge and continued to do so when no longer overseeing the agency.
“He was a passionate proponent of civic engagement,” the statement said. “He loved Portland. He will be missed.”
Andrew Theen of The Oregonian/OregonLive staff contributed to this report.
-- Everton Bailey Jr; ebailey@oregonian.com | 503-221-8343 | @EvertonBailey
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