Walking On… Kenji Voutrin Loy
On May 14, 2005 my son Kenji Voutrin Loy passed away suddenly at OHSU at 1:13 PM in Portland, OR. He was only 24 years old. There are no words to express our pain and loss at this time, only to say he will be forever loved, missed and never forgotten.
May the Creator lift you up on Eagle’s Wings, bear you on the breath of dawn, make you shine like the sun, and hold you in the palm of his hand until we meet again my son.
Kenji is survived by his brother, Richard Luciano Loy Jr., and his parents, father Richard Martinez Loy and mother Mary Kikue Hirata Loy, and is preceded in death by his grandparents Dolores May Voutrin and Kenji Hirata and Luis and Virginia Martinez Loy, and great-grandparents Mary Menard and Donald Paul Voutrin and Francisco Martinez.
Kenji lived life to the fullest, and his smile lit up the room. He had a beautiful laugh and he loved his family and friends. He would do anything for them even if it meant giving the shirt off his back—that’s the kind of man he was. He lived his whole life in Portland, graduating from St. Stephens Catholic School, Brooklyn Elementary School, Sellwood Middle School and Quest Academy High School. He also graduated from BCTI in Beaverton, OR and Mobile Dynamics in Tempe, AZ.
He loved sports and went to all-stars in baseball three years straight, played high school football offensive and defensive and lettered his freshman year. Kenji was active in the Native community and played basketball for the Native American Youth Association for seven years, winning the city league many times. He also competed in tournaments in Umatilla, Yakima, Warm Springs, Klamath Falls and Siletz.
My family and I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who called or came over to the hospital and our home as soon as they heard of Kenji’s passing and comforted our family with love and just anything to help out.
A special thanks to my cousins Amber Gutirez, Theresa and James Smith for the beautiful video and honor song for our son. Also, Harold, James, Rod and Carol Macafee for the special prayer at PSU and sweat they held for him at their home. To my cousin Mary for the beautiful dentalium necklaces she made for Kenji and Auntie Alice Balza and family. To cousins Dolores, Don, Larry and Joe for all the love and support they gave our family. To Debbie, Desiree, Julie and Livia for the flowers and food donation at Grand Ronde. And to our friends, a special thank you to the Espinosa family for being there from the start; also, Gaberial Shoeships, David Garcia, Kelly and Ed and girls, Ron True, Dolores Riding In, Doris Tom Riding In, Norma Minthorne, Tom Sampson, the Dufek family, Sam Brents and family, Della Begay, Maria Almegure, Trisha, Nadine Smith, Joe and Shannon, Sophie, Lisa Hungary RN, Irene Holland RN PNP, Mattie Pamanteer, Dr. Vern Williams, Ruthanne McGovern FNP, Kathleen Marquart PA, the Castillo family Debbie and Miguel. A special thanks to Anthony, Travis, Ian Chambers, Vivian Hicks, Lorna Larsen, Dika, Quoc, Nyno, Sam and Tina, Melissa, Ter, Booie, Thoum, Beth and Sue Jin.
And a heartfelt thank you to all our family and friends who flew up for Kenji’s services—Uncles Artie Martinez Loy, Louie and Corina Loy, Robert Loy and daughter Tina Loy and her friend Roseanna, Tommy Domdang, Larry, Rosie, RayRay, Gaberial, Jennifer Loy and his Auntie Vivian Esse, in spirit Andrea and Johnny, the Champ Louie Loy Jr., Gina, Richard Loy and Desiree, Victoria, Louie Champ Loy IV, Angel Loy, Larry Boxer Loy and Li’l Larry Jr. (SABU).
In Portland, we give thanks to everyone in the Native community who came together in our time of need with love and support and food donations, helpers at our home, at PSU and in Grand Ronde and at PSU: Tabathia Whitefoot, Sande Allman, Shelia Kirk, Ruth Jensen, Jackie Mercer and family, Geslia and Jack Quincey, Norma Trimble, Kerri Lopez, CeCe Whitewolf and Denise Riding In.
A special thank you to these organizations: Delta Park Pow-wow; Tom Ball, Emcee for the Blanket Dance; St. Philip Neri Parish; Father Richard Colgan for THE BEAUTIFUL SERVICES; The Ross Hollywood Chapel; The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde; Smoke Signals; NARA/NW; Bow and Arrow; NWAIHB; NICWA and NAYA; also anyone else we forgot to mention, thank you, it meant so very much to our family during this terrible and tragic time in our lives.
Especially to the community of Grand Ronde, Uncle Chips and Bonnie Tom and their families. Also, everyone in Grand Ronde who helped. We apologize for being so late, the services at PSU went over and I was not in any way able to make a call, so again I’m very, very sorry. Thanks to Margo, Sharon, Liz, Joyce and Reina in benefits, Cassandra Scott in contract health and Linda Bird FNP and Barbara Ocupe in the clinic.
All the families, especially Val Grout who did the opening prayer for my son and family; everyone who made the food, served and stayed so late to clean up—the Toms, the Beans, the Davises, the Grouts, the Hallers, the Wests, the Jamses, the Lenos and anyone else I may have forgotten to mention—thank you all so very much.
To all my relations and friends,
from the Mary Menards, Donald Voutrin Family, Richard Loy Martinez
and Mary Kikue Hirata Loy Martinez Family.
