Wilma Shirley Bretz, 89, passed away on March 24, 2025, in Beaverton, Oregon. Born on May 3, 1935, in Portland, Oregon, she was the daughter of William Shull Bretz and Violet Lorene Henry.

Wilma’s early years were shaped by a unique and adventurous upbringing. Her father, a prospector, established successful mining operations in southeastern Oregon. As a result, Wilma spent her first six years summering in remote mining camps and wintering in hotels from San Francisco to Colorado. These formative experiences instilled in her a deep appreciation for the outdoors and a bold spirit that would define her life.

She attended high school at St. Mary’s Academy in Portland before marrying and welcoming two children, Dana and Bret. The family later moved to Neah-Kah-Nie Beach, Oregon, where Wilma began her professional journey. She worked as a nursing assistant at the Beckwith Clinic in Nehalem and as a stringer for the Tillamook Times newspaper. Her vivid reporting brought local stories to life—covering everything from treasure hunts for the legendary Neah-Kah-Nie gold to the dramatic arrival of a dead Finn whale in Garibaldi harbor and the extraordinary quantity of Japanese glass floats coming in after the Columbus Day storm of 1961.

In 1967, as a single mother determined to chart her own course, Wilma passed the United States Customs House Brokerage License exam—becoming one of only three women to do so at that time. When her employer denied her promotion based on gender, she filed what became Oregon’s first successful lawsuit under its new gender discrimination law. This landmark case reflected Wilma’s unwavering integrity and determination.

Never one to be confined by convention, Wilma embarked on a three-year sailing journey with her teenage children and two cats. Their voyage took them from San Francisco down the Pacific coast to Puntarenas, Costa Rica—an odyssey filled with both challenge and wonder.

Upon returning to Oregon, Wilma earned her Real Estate Broker license. Together with her partner Gert, she played a key role in developing several neighborhoods west of Washington Square in Beaverton—leaving a lasting impact on the community’s landscape.

She married Bill Hranka, her loving husband of now 46 years and joyously welcomed two more children, Gail and Brian Hranka, who were 6 and 10 at the time. The family shared many wonderful times together hunting sunstones, fishing, camping, and exploring Oregon’s natural beauty.

Wilma had a wide range of interests including reading, reciting poetry, gardening, artistic pursuits, and spending time with family. She is remembered for her irreverent humor, affectionate nature, worldliness, and zest for life. Family remained her greatest joy throughout her years.

She is lovingly remembered by her husband Bill Hranka; daughter Dana Coffee and husband Tom Sharples; son Bret Coffee; son Brian Hranka and partner Jacqueline Connors; daughter Gail Hranka Moebius and husband Reinhard Moebius; and grandchildren Lars Wetteland, Ella Moebius, and Eric Moebius.

Wilma will be laid to rest at Riverview Cemetery. A memorial date and time will be announced.

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