An educator who established Oregon’s first hospice, Joan Buell dies at 90

An educator who established Oregon’s first hospice, Joan Buell dies at 90
The Oregonian (Portland, OR)
December 9, 2023
Joan Strong Buell was a woman of many dimensions ... Most important, she was matter-of-fact about death but deeply devoted to transforming the experience of dying—from a traumatic, clinical affair on an uncomfortable hospital cot to a peaceful, dignified occasion in a homelike setting. That conviction is what led her to open what is now known as Hopewell House, the first hospice in Oregon and one of the first in the United States. Joan died on Aug. 19, at the age of 90. A celebration of her life was held in Portland on Dec. 3.