On July 5, Jeffrey McCauley Cheyne, husband of NCRF Trustee Debra Cheyne, a CART captioner from Sherwood, Ore., passed away. Earlier this year, he and Debra became NCRF Major Gifts donors. They were also NCRF Angel donors. The following is a tribute submitted by Debra.
Jeffrey McCauley Cheyne, beloved husband, loving father, loyal brother, and dedicated attorney, passed away peacefully on July 5, 2016.
He was born Sept. 13, 1946, in Klamath Falls, Ore., to Leland and Bonita Cheyne, and grew up on the family farm affectionately called the Squirrel Ranch. Jeff had three younger brothers, Greg, Lee, and Gary. He attended Sacred Heart Grade School, graduated from Mt. Angel Seminary High School and the University of Oregon. He worked as a juvenile corrections officer in Trenton, N.J., followed by graduate work in St. Louis, Mo. In 1975 he graduated from the University of San Diego School of Law, and opened his law practice in Escondido, Calif. He also obtained an L.L.M. in Taxation from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1984. He was active philanthropically in his community and served on the Board of Managers of the Palomar YMCA and as Chairman of the Board for the Escondido Chamber of Commerce.
Jeff and his wife, Debra, moved back home to Oregon in 1991 and built their home in the rural Sherwood area. Jeff practiced in the areas of estate and trust law, business, and real estate planning, and was licensed to practice in Oregon, California, and Washington, as well as the U.S. Tax Court. As a partner at the law firm of Samuels Yoelin Kantor LLP, Jeff was a prolific speaker, instrumental in the passage of important legislative revisions to the Oregon estate tax law. He gave educational presentations to lawyers and certified public accountants throughout the state. Jeff wrote carefully researched articles for various publications of the Oregon State Bar. Until his death he served on the Portland Estate Planning Council, was a member of Wealthcounsel, an American College of Trust and Estate Counsel Fellow, past chair of the Oregon State Bar Estate & Trust Committee, served on the endowment committee for the American Rhododendron Society, was a past president of the Tualatin Valley Chapter of the ARS, was a former officer of the Beaverton Sunrise Rotary, and a member of the procurement committee of Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.
Jeff was a wonderful mentor to the young attorneys in his firm and a friend to everyone with whom he worked. He was a true professional.
He is survived by his wife, Debra K. Cheyne, son Paul Cheyne, and stepson Paul Pace, as well as his brothers and their families. Jeff’s kindness and compassion for his family, colleagues, friends, and neighbors has given strength to all who knew him. He leaves a legacy of good, wise, and courageous leadership. He will be greatly missed. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Oregon Humane Society, the Portland Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society, the National Court Reporters Foundation, or a charity of one’s choice.
