Boyd Lewis Harris passed away peacefully with his wife Sandra’s hand in his on March 14, 2026, at the age of 90.

Boyd was born on April 13, 1935, in Poplar, Montana, to Dorothea (Morse) and Boyd Faulkner. When he was eight years old his parents divorced and his mother relocated with him and his younger brother, Richard, to Lincoln, Nebraska. Later they moved to Condon, Oregon, where their stepfather, Jack Harris, ran Parman & Harris Building Materials.

He met the love of his life, Sandra Logan, in 1950. Their 75-year partnership (70 years married) was built on devotion, humor, and a shared understanding that love is as much about laughter as it is mutual respect and compromise.

At Condon High School, he excelled in basketball and track, was valedictorian, and approached life with playful wit, boundless energy and a positive spirit. At the University of Oregon's Beta Theta Pi fraternity, he roomed with future literary and counterculture icon Ken Kesey (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest). In 1956, they served as best men at each other’s weddings and remained lifelong friends. In 1966, Boyd helped Kesey produce one of the last Warlocks shows in Portland before the band changed their name to The Grateful Dead. His early career involved sales at a paper company and then several plastics companies he launched with Ken's brother Chuck and Bud Haxby.

While raising their four boys, Boyd and Sandra lived in Los Angeles, Sauvie Island, Portland, Oregon City, Eugene, and the Boise, ID, area before returning to Condon in 1972.

There, he helped Jack run Parman & Harris among other jobs and ultimately became a real estate broker. He gave generously of his time, creativity and leadership to the community he loved. He served as mayor of Condon from 1989 to 1996, as a city council member after that, and as a Condon Elks Lodge officer. He was a gifted public speaker, known to fill in with sermons for the United Church of Christ, and was licensed to perform weddings and eagerly did so for many friends and family.

In the 1970s, he helped found the local Cooperative Arts (Co-Arts) association that transformed Condon into a regional arts hub, bringing theater, juried art shows and a lasting sense of creative vitality. He loved theater and helped produce and act in a variety of plays. With Sandra, an exceptional painter whose works were shown at the Oregon Governor's mansion, he became networked in the Portland and Pacific Northwest arts scenes. In 2002, he was appointed by Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber to a four-year term on the Oregon Arts Commission, making an impact to bring more art to rural communities.

In his 30s, after attending his grandfather's funeral in Idaho, Boyd began to explore his Native American heritage. Reconnecting with his half Shoshone Bannock birth father, he discovered more family and became close with his half-brother Leland Faulkner, an accomplished performance artist. He later pursued enrollment as a member of the Sho-Ban tribe and was accepted.

He had a gift for enjoying life’s simple pleasures: telling a well-timed joke, spoiling his cats, reading books, and baking excellent pies – always in friendly competition with fellow potluck or family bakers. It may be the ultimate mic drop that he passed on 3-14 (National Pi Day). He showed his family how to fully live in the moment, love deeply, and never take themselves too seriously. He led a colorful life full of artists, musicians, authors, farmers, beatniks, hippies, cowboys, Indians and so much more.

Boyd was preceded in death by his beloved brother Richard. He is survived by his soulmate Sandra and his four sons – Kevin (partner Shana), Brian, Jeff and Logan (wife Christine). He has seven grandchildren – Ryan, Devon, Jack, Rayna, Deana, Quinn and Sam. His seven great grandchildren include Brayden, Alyson, Maxx, Demetri, Jude, Lewis and Micah.

Boyd’s family is forever grateful for the amazing, compassionate help he received from caregivers in recent years, especially from Teddy Fennern. Also, a special shout out to his son Brian, who has been “eyes on” for more than a decade. We also thank Pioneer Memorial Hospice for their gentle care in his last weeks of life and, of course, we cannot thank the Condon community enough for its support and kindness.

A celebration of life is planned at the Condon Liberty Theater at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 11. A reception will follow in the Hotel Condon dining room. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Boyd’s name to the Condon Arts Council.

Sweeney Payton Mortuary in Heppner is handling arrangements. Please leave your condolence messages for the family below.