Juliet Booth (she/her): Juliet was born in England and grew up Methodist.  She was an English as a Second Language teacher for many years and worked in Sweden, Mexico, Japan, and the U.K.  She moved to Oregon in 1999 and is now happily retired here. For many years she attended First Church in downtown Portland but wanted to find a more local spiritual community and feels she has really found her ‘home’ at WHUUF and enjoys singing in the Choristers.  In addition to WHUUF activities, she enjoys playing pickleball, is learning to play the tin whistle (Irish trad music), likes entertaining friends with afternoon teas, hiking, and spending time with her wonderful cat, Dexter.

Kenzer Clay (They/them, He/him)

Kenzer grew up in Portland, OR. 

Kenzer and James started coming to WHUUF in November 2023 when Kenzer was in search for something bigger than them and more community.

Their favorite activities include being in the sun, discussing and dissecting the human experience, reading every book that has ever been written and spending time with his partner James and their dogs, Luke, 8 and Henry, 3. He is quite shy, but very eager to make more friends. 

James Lenius (he/him)

James was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and moved to Portland in 2018 to go to Reed College. His parents were not affiliated with one religion in particular and encouraged him and his siblings to find their own spiritual meaning. He started coming to WHUUF a year and a half ago with his partner Kenzer to seek a larger community and interesting political and spiritual discussions.

James is a tattoo artist and is a lover of all things beautiful. When he isn’t tattooing, you can find him drawing at a coffee shop, cooking, going on long walks with the dogs, or on a picnic with friends. He is excited to be here!

Mary Hepokoski (she/her): Mary spent the first 52 years of her life living in Minnesota where she enjoyed among other things: gardening, canoeing, and cross country skiing on groomed trails. Her family, husband Peter and two sons, were a volunteer foster family for 14 years taking care of mostly infants and toddlers. She and Peter also lived briefly in Eastern Pennsylvania. Mary was active in UU congregations in both places. They moved to Oregon when Peter retired in 2006. Mary has broadened her skiing experience to include backcountry skiing and is active in the Oregon Nordic Club. They enjoy traveling to Europe because their son Karl, daughter-in-law, and three granddaughters live in the Netherlands.

Amanda Luell (she/her): Amanda has attended WHUUF since September of 2023. Before that time, she had her first introduction to Unitarian Universalism at First Unitarian Church, which she attended for 10 years. She came to WHUUF looking for a smaller congregation where she could find a close-knit spiritual community. She is a veterinarian with the USDA but has also worked in private practice and as a shelter veterinarian. She grew up in Eugene and is a lifelong Oregonian, with brief stints in Washington, Vermont and Massachusetts. She has a daughter, Maddie, 16, who is a Junior at Ida B Wells High School in SW Portland. Maddie hopes to go to fashion school in Japan when she graduates and spends all of her free time either sewing or participating in theater productions at school. Amanda loves to camp, hike, travel, knit/sew, read and do jigsaw puzzles/crosswords. She and her daughter also have 5 cats who they adore.

Christy & Jeff Webster: Jeff and Christy have attended WHUUF since last September, but have been UUs for over 17 years.  Jeff has been a software engineer for 35 years, and Christy has been a teacher for 30 years, taking several years off to raise their children. They have two children: Ciera, 22, who is about to graduate from Portland State University with a degree in Creative Writing, and Milo, 20, who is working towards a computer science degree.  Jeff and Christy enjoy the outdoors, exploring and hiking, and taking road trips. Christy also enjoys yoga, knitting, and is an avid reader, while Jeff enjoys cycling and solving puzzles. Christy was born and raised in Garden Home (the same neighborhood as the church), and Jeff was born and raised in the Seattle-Tacoma area.

WendyLeigh and Pete White: WendyLeigh and Pete White moved to Portland in 2016 from the northeast where they were active members at the Unitarian Society of New Haven (CT) for 13 yrs. Their leap-day born daughter, Alex, lives in Bellingham, WA, and is a sometimer in the UU congregation there. All look forward to the day P & WL retire and move to live closer together. New Golden Retriever puppy, Karman, will help pass that time.  Meanwhile, Pete works as a fluid dynamics expert at Hyster-Yale and WendyLeigh as a licensed naturopathic doctor in a Sellwood clinic. Joining WHUUF has been a search for community and an outlet for their spiritual growth. In spare time, they play in the outdoors, Pete bikes, and WendyLeigh sings and does jigsaw puzzles.