Joan Austin died on June 5, 2013 at the age of 81. She was a friend of mine; that put me in the excellent company of literally thousands of people across Oregon and the rest of the United States. Those people ranged from former Presidents of the United States to clerical staff at her office.
She was a wife, mother, grandmother, a great-grandmother-in-waiting, and a tireless and generous benefactor to Oregon’s many charities. Oh yes, she was also the business genius behind the creation and growth of A-DEC, the largest privately held dental equipment manufacturer in America. She and husband Ken – the technical wizard – began their venture in a Quonset hut in Newberg and grew it into a worldwide industry leader. And then when she was in her 70’s Joan envisioned, planned and built The Allison – Oregon’s premier resort and spa which sits at the doorway to Oregon’s famed Yamhill wine country. Continue reading









