Blake Hering, a Portland businessman and former president of the Port of Portland, died on 21 July aged 75.

He founded John B. Hering Co. in 1960 and Atlas Steamship Northwest in 1962, and was involved in international grain and shipping business in Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis and New York. He founded HGM Property Development in 1978.

Hering was the finance chairman — and close supporter — for all of Atiyeh’s campaigns; and he was the finance chairman and major adviser for gubernatorial candidate Ron Saxton. He was an uncle of Molly Bordonaro, 1998 Republican candidate for Congress and current US ambassador to Malta.