Leslie John Balsiger was born on September 7, 1949 to Phillip and Donna Balsiger. He grew up in Wilsonville, attended West Linn High School and graduated with a law degree from Gonzaga University. He is survived by his wife Carol, his two children, Danielle Nilson from Norway and Jonatan Balsiger of Wyoming and his sister Debi Laue. His business career included real estate, home building, Printed Page Ministry in Montana, car dealership in Idaho and academic executive positions in Oregon, Wyoming and most recently Executive Dean at Southwestern Community College in Brookings.
He and his wife shared a love of travel and just recently returned from a trip to Hungary. Les was very gregarious and made friends everywhere he went including foreign countries. He embraced new technology, particularly social media, and had daily conversations concerning a myriad of topics with a special place in his heart for politics. He taught online courses in criminal law and other subjects. Whether it was on a park bench, walking along the beach or on the train in Europe he never met a stranger that was not his friend within an hour.
Despite the family's loss, they take solace in knowing that Les didn't suffer and he loved the Lord. He died of a heart attack on January 4, 2018 and it came as a complete surprise because he had no long term illness.
In lieu of flowers, Les would have appreciated the thought of you making a charitable donation to your local food bank.