In Loving Memory
Karen Steffanoff (1945 - 2021)
"They are not gone who live in the hearts they left behind."
~ Native American Proverb

Karen Steffanoff started Abbey House, LLC in 1997 renovating this historic old Portland home into 12 healing arts practice offices. This house started life as a single-family home and survived several chapters of Portland’s traumatic housing history as described on our FAQ’s. Karen was a “hands-on” person choosing to personally nurture the plants, paint the walls and make general improvements to the property herself.

At the same time, she chose to upgrade the offices with contemporary electrical service panels, high speed internet, lighting, and security measures. Being that Abbey House is used for primarily healing arts practitioners, it was a natural for Karen as she personally engaged in holistic healing, meditation, and a dietary regimen of which few could maintain.

Other than being a loving mother to three children and “co-author” to her husband’s life, Karen was quite altruistic. In her lifetime, Karen hosted numerous international exchange students, was a P.E.O. member, Paul Harris Fellow, and a Life Member of the Portland Rotary Club.

Karen always had interest in “preserving old things” like Abbey House and was also known for promoting and practicing a positive “attitude of gratitude”.

In Loving Memory
Nick Steffanoff (1938- 2023)
"They are not gone who live in the hearts they left behind."
~ Native American Proverb, also applies to Nick

Nick Steffanoff assisted in starting Abbey House, LLC in 1997 with his wife Karen, fondly referred to as her "48%" - together they renovated this historic building leaning on his architectural background. Nick was also a “hands-on” person who assisted Karen with every aspect of work on Abbey House. After her passing, he continued the work and added his own touches like the red wall by the east walkway and mural along the Courtside driveway.

Despite being a military brat, moving between many places while his father served twice in the Army, Portland was home most of his life, where he attended Laurelhurst grade school, graduated from Washington High School, attended Lewis & Clark College, transferred and then graduated from University of Oregon with a degree in Architecture.

Nick was quite a supportive dad to one daughter, and a step-daughter, and their respective children - full of helpful lessons in every DIY imaginable! Nick had his hands in so many creative things including piano playing (by ear) famous for his "Boogie Woogie", also adept at the harmonica, trombone and accordion, jazz music radio DJ on KMHD 89.1 for decades, jazz album production of Portland Jazz, Vol. 1, backyard mechanic as he called it, handyman extraordinaire, excelled at clay pottery, sketches, painting, worked with wood, metals, and any medium he could get his hands on, made violins from scratch as learned from his father, also he was a Royal Rosarian, active member of Mt. Hood Ski Patrol since 1967, zoo docent at the Living Desert in Palm Desert CA for decades, founding member of the Emergency Response Team in his neighborhood, former Planner for Multnomah County, with his architecture firm he had a large hand in the layout and development of Lake Oswego and Mt. Park specifically and active member of the Rotary Club. Nick loved geology, plants, animals, and bowling with his highest score of 299!!

- Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), Portland, OR

- Broome, Selig & Oringdulph (BSO), Portland, OR

- Multnomah County Planning Commission (Senior Planner)

- Steffanoff & Horning Associates (SHA), Portland, OR

- Western Planning Associates (WPA), Portland OR