Peter Illyn

Peter Illyn, a Christian environmental evangelist and resident of La Center, Washington, died on Friday, December 11th, 2020, at the age of 62 after an 18-year battle with cancer.


Peter is survived by his wife of 40 years, Debra Illyn (nee Watson); his children Alexis Rose Williams and Andrew Peter Illyn; his sisters Kathy Moore, Beth Yount, and Amy Holiday; and three grandchildren, Phoenix Illyn, and Wesley and Levi Williams.


Peter was born in Syracuse, New York on March 19, 1958, to Alexis Vladimir Illyn and Olga Ajogin Illyn. He grew up Russian Orthodox in South Carolina and attended North Augusta High School. He left home at the age of 14, and spent five years on the road. While traveling through Portland, he stayed at the Nicky Cruz Center where he responded to the gospel, and determined to train for the ministry.


Settling in Portland, at the age of 19 he met his future wife Debbie. He finished his GED and went on to earn an AA degree at Portland Community College. He earned credentials as an evangelical minister at Rhema Bible College, during which time he and Debbie married. He then served nine years as a pastor of Foursquare Churches in Portland and Yakima, after which he earned his undergraduate degree in marketing at Portland State University.


In 1989 Peter took a sabbatical and hiked the entire Oregon and Washington sections of the Pacific Crest Trail in the company of two pack llamas. It was on that trip that he had a second “conversion” experience and received a call to care for creation, a calling he pursued for the rest of his life.


He returned to Portland State and earned a Masters degree in Business and Marketing. As a result of the notoriety from his world-record setting llama trek, he was invited to be the marketing director for the International Llama Association.


After working for a time with Green Cross, the Evangelical Environmental Network and Target Earth, Peter founded his own nonprofit in 2001 called Restoring Eden, and he served as its director until his death.


His hobbies over the years included organic farming, leatherwork, hiking and camping in the backwoods with his children. His favorite pastime in the last few years has been hanging out in the garden with his three rambunctious grandchildren, who he deeply loved.


Peter enjoyed a national reputation as a defender of creation and a champion of environmental justice for the poor and oppressed. He inspired a generation of Christians to make their hearts bigger, hands dirtier, and voices stronger by rediscovering the biblical call to love, serve, and protect God’s creation.

In Lieu of flowers; donations can be made to the Peter Illyn Memorial Fund.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/peter-illyn-memorial-fund