Wayne Armand Strohecker, a Portland gourmand noted for his knowledge and love of wine and passion for food has died at age 89 in his Lake Oswego home on Friday evening. Wayne was the iconic ‘face’ of Strohecker’s grocery, the West Hills specialty food store opened by his grandfather, Gottlieb Strohecker in 1902. The store was a multi-generational business founded on the premise that customer service was paramount and the availability of obscure wines, grocery items and regular foods its foundation. Wayne and his extended family continued the tradition of locating worldwide nearly any item for a customer. “If you want it, we’ll find it,” he often said. He led the way for expansion of the remarkable wine department further spurring the art of wine-enthusiasm and tasting in the Pacific Northwest. Monthly, you could find Wayne gathering at the Tiffany Center with his close friends in the Good Ole Boys Club, a collection of restaurateurs, hoteliers, and vintners. There, they would share a favorite or new bottle of wine, a fabulous meal during a day of humorous story-sharing and business updates.

A Lincoln High School and University of Oregon alum where he was also in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, Wayne was a lifelong Ducks fan and an active member of the Oregon Club of Portland. During the football season, he could be found cheering on and supporting the scholarships of the Green and Yellow at the weekly luncheons. Wayne had a unique and natural flair to make everyone in his presence feel at ease and valued. His charismatic personality filled a room. People who crossed paths and conversation with him stepped away with a nickname: both as a way of Wayne demonstrating a unique admiration for the new friend and also an indelible distinction of this person in Wayne’s mind. 40 years ago, when Wayne was a Little League and later a Girls’ softball coach, he selected monikers for his young players that are still distinct and endearing, like Queenie, Sparrow, Beeker, Sandy Banks, George, and Mooseface.

Wayne loved to travel in search of excellent wine and gastronomic delights, socialize, laugh and listen to jazz. He was a member of the MAC Balladeers, Knights of the Vine, Chaine de Rotisseurs, and was inducted into the U of O Emerald Isle. His impact on our lives and those around us has been profound. He will be sorely missed.