Oregon Public Broadcasting

A woman credited with helping move the city of Gresham out of Portland’s shadow, is dying.

Gussie McRobert was mayor of Gresham for ten years, beginning in the late 1980s. She’s now 75 years old, with a failing pancreas, but an enduring tough demeanor, according to people close to her.

She was recognized Wednesday night at a planning meeting of elected officials, organized by the Metro regional government.

Metro’s Andy Cotugno shared the news of McRobert’s declining health as area leaders concluded a discussion on regional growth.

Andy Cotugno: “Gussie’s dying right now. But she’s in remarkably good spirits. She was a major player in setting this direction, in the first place. We’re re-looking at some good work that she helped us develop, a number of years ago.”

McRobert told the Gresham Outlook newspaper that she considered it “immoral” for her to pursue a potentially life-saving organ transplant, when she has lived such a full life.

The former Gresham mayor has immortalized her hard-knock life in a recently published memoir.

According to friends, McRobert -- an always hands-on mayor -- has already planned her own funeral.