Margaret Lacey Kern Gassman passed away the afternoon of January 25, 2018, in Southwest Portland, at Holistic House with her loving daughter, Catherine Mulflur, by her side. She was 90 years old. She was born June 9, 1927, in Portland to Lawrence and Sarah Kern.

She attended Madeleine grade school in Portland and when the family moved to Corvallis she attended elementary school through her junior year of high school. She spent her senior year at St. Mary’s Academy and graduated in the class of 1945. Many Kern relatives lived in Portland and Margaret thought it would be exciting to move on her own and board at St. Mary’s. She attended Oregon State University from 1945-1949, as a Home Economics major and a member of the Gamma Phi Beta Sorority. It was while attending OSU that she met Charles Gassman, the love of her life. Upon graduation, they married June 25, 1949 and shared 68 happy years together.
They lived in the Irvington neighborhood in Northeast Portland and were members of the Madeleine parish for 24 years. In 1973 they moved to the Bridlemile area of Southwest Portland where they have lived for the past 45 years and were active members of St. Thomas More Catholic Church.

Margaret is survived by her loving husband, Charles A. Gassman; her sisters-in-law, Ruth Percival and Nancy Kjemhus, (Forrest); cousins, Clara Reames, Keith Kern (Jayne); children, Jane Brammer (Thomas), Catherine Mulflur, Anne Willeman (Larry), Margie Sono; grandchildren, Lisa Faulk, Jesse Brammer (Laura), Marcey Erickson (Ryan), Colleen, Kelsey, Megan and Katie Mulflur, Emily Sono, Nathan Willeman; and great-grandchildren, Ellie, Cole, Brayden, Chandler and Keira.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, February 3, 2018, at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 3521 S.W. Patton Rd., Portland, OR 97221. Reception following in the parish hall immediately after the ceremony. Interment will be Monday, February 5, 2018, at Mt. Calvary Cemetery.
Margaret will be remembered for her generous, kind and loving spirit. She never met a stranger and made everyone feel welcome—she was a friend to all.

In lieu of flowers or contributions to a charity, the family requests that you remember Margaret through an intentional act of kindness as her life was always about bringing people together and making them feel welcome.

An interment will take place at 10 a.m., Monday, February 5, 2018, in Mt. Calvary Cemetery Portland.

Mass of Christian Burial

11:00 AM ,Saturday, February 3, 2018
St. Thomas More Catholic Church
3521 S.W. Patton Road Portland, OR 97221
Notes: Reception following in the parish hall immediately after the ceremony. Interment will be Monday, February 5, 2018, at Mt. Calvary Cemetery.