Abby Viera Crumpacker
Dec. 11, 1953 - Aug. 22, 2021
In the ultimate of ironies, the woman who was always the last to leave a party has unfortunately left ours far too soon; Abby Crumpacker Vieira passed away at home in the early morning hours of Aug. 22, 2021, after a battle with cancer that she fought unyieldingly, uncompromisingly, and unapologetically for nearly 30 years.
Before we recount the details of her life—one lived to the fullest and farthest reaches—let us preface this by acknowledging who Abby was in her heart of hearts and depths of her soul. In a word, she was magic. She had an uncanny ability to make you feel truly seen and heard, and there isn’t a single person who crossed her path who didn’t leave feeling loved. She remained a shining beacon of joy and optimism through all of life’s twists and turns, teaching those of us who knew her and loved her to lead with kindness and humor above all else.
Born Dec. 11, 1953, in Portland, Ore., to Peter and Ann Winkler Crumpacker. She was the youngest of four children, following Blair, Dean, and Emily, all close in age, who remained her closest allies and dearest friends right up until the end.
Attending Riverdale School and Lake Oswego High School, Abby began building her deeply treasured collection of forever friendships, and proudly gained a hard-earned reputation for stirring up trouble. At the age of 17, she participated in one of the very first Outward Bound courses for women, spending weeks off the coast of Maine learning to sail and developing an unrelenting appetite for adventure—one that would continue to fuel her for the remainder of her life.
Through a friendship made on Outward Bound, Abby was introduced to Nathan and Tibby Allen of Nantucket, Mass., who invited her to be their ‘summer girl’ and help care for their four children, Nathan, Elisabeth, Holly, and Matthew. It is a testament to her magnetism and sheer force of personality that she quickly became part of the family and continued to visit Nantucket year after year, eventually bringing along her own family to spend the summers on the island she considered her second home with the people she came to love as deeply as her own.
In 1975, while working as a barista at The Beanery in Corvallis, Ore., Abby met Robert Lynn Vieira and together they started writing the first chapters of what would become a five decade long love story. They married July 29, 1978, celebrating with a huge party and campout in the backyard of her childhood home. Throughout the next 43 years, Abby and Bob would travel the world together, amassing countless stories and friendships spanning over 40 countries. Most notably, they were passionate and ardent supporters of the Semester at Sea study abroad program through which they circumnavigated the globe seven times (including three voyages with their children). While Bob stood firmly at the helm of these voyages traveling as the Executive Dean, Abby became affectionately known as ‘The Queen’, serving as the heart and soul of each community she helped build. There was no place in the world that felt more like home to her than on a ship in the middle of the ocean with nothing but the horizon in sight. It was in these moments, acknowledging her role as just a small speck in a vast universe, that she was able to fully embrace the world, standing in reverence of its endless beauty and possibility.
Though she lived a life of adventure, Abby was the first to tell you that her greatest joy and largest source of pride in this world was to be a mother. She loved her three children fiercely and profoundly, beginning with John Champion (born 1985), followed shortly thereafter by Annie Robert (born 1987), and Henry Crumpacker (born 1991). To her children, she was and will always be the North Star—a guiding light in every storm and the brightest star in clear skies. Together, she and Bob built a home filled with silliness, music, books, family dinners, dance parties, Santa, birthday celebrations, trips to Neahkahnie Beach to gaze at the stars, flowers, laughter, and unconditional love, for which their children feel infinitely lucky and eternally grateful.
In addition to her husband, her children and their partners, her mother, her siblings and their spouses, Abby is survived by a gaggle of nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews whom she adored and was adored by in return. But more than that, Abby is survived by all the people whose lives she touched and changed, and there were many. Her spirit will be kept alive by each of us indi-vidually and all of us collectively, the dedicated disciples to the incomparable Abby Crumpacker Vieira, our Queen. May we continue to live each day by her frequently espoused core philosophy that ‘all you need is love’. And though today our hearts are broken, we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she is somewhere out there in the universe right now laughing, twirling, and feeling groovy.
A celebration of her life will be held at some point in the future when those who love her can gather safely. In lieu of flowers, we ask that you please consider a donation in her honor to the Semester at Sea Vieira Family Scholarship Fund https://app.mobilecause. com/vf/Vieira, Care Partners OR: Hospice & Palliative, or Write Around Portland.
