Late Oregon legislator Peter Courtney honored at Mt. Angel funeral service

PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) — A funeral service for former Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney was held on July 31 at a church in Mt. Angel.

Courtney died on July 16, at the age of 81.

His political career officially began in Salem, where he served as a city council member until 1980. He became Oregon’s senate leader in 2003, holding the role until his retirement in January 2023.

With a 38-year tenure in the Oregon Legislative Assembly, Courtney was the state’s longest-serving legislator. Current Senate President Rob Wagner also recognized him as “the most influential lawmaker in the history of Oregon.”

“Peter Michael Coleman Courtney was a legend — larger than life, with a passion for helping Oregonians all across the state, and especially in his beloved city of Salem,” Wagner said, in part. “The sounds of the Capitol were never complete without Peter’s voice reverberating through the halls.”

Courtney’s funeral service was livestreamed on the church’s website.

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