Cameron John Sauvain
December 29, 1988 - April 27, 2015
"Early riser, skateboarder, snowboarder, athlete, team player, outdoorsman and hunter, artist and glass man, rising star salesman, friend, brother, grandson and beloved son"
On April 27, 2015, we lost Cameron John Sauvain. He was a loving son, brother and friend to many. His spirit and zest for life was felt by all. Even his dentist said, "That boy lives every day."
Born and raised in Lake Oswego, Cameron attended Hallinan Elementary School and Waluga Junior High School. He graduated from Lakeridge High School in 2007 — where he participated in many sports — but his one true love was football, and he played both offensive and defensive line all four years as a Pacer.
His mom taught him to ski at a very young age, but he traded his skis for a snowboard as soon as she would allow. Later on, following in his dad's footsteps, he caught the ever-frustrating but also rewarding golf bug.
After graduation from high school Cam attended Central Oregon Community College for two years, majoring in forestry, before returning home to Lake Oswego. He worked for Mark Cadwell Landscaping, putting his forestry knowledge and work ethic to excellent use. He then became an apprentice at Bridging Boro Fine Art Glass in Portland, where he honed himself into an accomplished glass artist. He put away his torch and kiln during the week to go to work for Northwest Door and Supply, where he hit a land-speed record for becoming a successful outside salesman.
Cameron loved sports, the great outdoors, and cars — anything cars. As a teenager he bought a 1966 Ford Mustang as his first car and completely restored it. He sold it because he was worried that parking it in the Lakeridge parking lot would not be good for the car! Cam's long list of auto acquisitions grew with the addition of a BMW, a lifted 4X4 truck, an Audi A4, another lifted 4X4 diesel and a Chevy Tahoe, affirming a passion for cars passed down to him from his great-grandfather — who started a Ford dealership — his grandfather, his father and his uncle.
He loved fishing and hunting, pastimes also enjoyed by his big game-hunting grandfather, "Grandpa McB." He hunted deer and elk in eastern Oregon every year with his best friends from elementary school.
Cameron expressed his talented artistic side by creating beautiful glass work and oil paintings. He had compassion for all and was comfortable chatting with anyone of any age or from any walk of life. This was apparent in his skills as a salesman to high-end homebuilders and grumpy contractors alike.
Cameron's amazing smile and warm presence will be deeply and forever missed by all who knew him. He is survived by his mother, Melanie Sauvain; his father and stepmom, Chuck and Teri Sauvain; his step-brothers, Chris and Jake Oelrich; his grandmothers, Arlene Dana and Marty McBrayer; his aunt and uncle, Tom and Kristal Sauvain; and his cousins (brothers), Brian, Joel and Travis Sauvain.
A Celebration of Life honoring Cameron's life was held on May 5 at Westside: A Jesus Church in Portland.
The family welcomes contributions in Cameron's memory to two of his favorite nonprofits, LEAP Adventure and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. To access his GiveForward page and make a donation, please go to:
https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/5qm8/cameron-sauvain-memorial-fund
.