Rick Best, one of two men killed in a brutal attack Friday aboard a MAX train, was a city of Portland employee, Army veteran and onetime candidate for Clackamas County commissioner.

Rick Best

Best, 53, worked as a technician for the city Bureau of Development Services, said David Austin, a spokesman for Portland Commissioner Chloe Eudaly.

He was headed to his home in Happy Valley when he and two others intervened as a man began hurling epithets at two teenagers aboard a MAX Green Line train, witnesses said. The man then pulled a knife and stabbed the three men, killing two and injuring one.

Best had three teenage sons and a 12-year-old daughter, Austin said.

Best grew up in Oregon, mostly in Salem, and attended Vocational Village High School in Portland.

He met his wife at Portland Community College, and then joined the Army. He said in a voter pamphlet statement that he served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Best retired from the Army as a platoon sergeant for Corps maintenance in 2012 after 23 years in the military. He joined his family in Happy Valley and quickly became frustrated with the county board, in 2014 launching an unsuccessful campaign in which he said he would not accept donations.

In January 2015, he began working for the city as a technician.

His supervisor at the Bureau of Development Services, Kareen Perkins, said Best was a dedicated employee who was well-liked by his tight-knit team.

"He was always the first person you would go to for help," she said. "I've talked to most of his coworkers today, and several of them said it's just like Rick to step in and help somebody out."

He worked hard to find his way in civilian life, Perkins said. In his job, he worked with about 30 coworkers and hundreds of customers seeking permits from the city.

"He was just really good at his job, and just great to work with," she said.

He also spoke frequently and fondly of his wife and four children, Perkins said.

City commissioner Chloe Eudaly, who until recently oversaw the bureau, released a statement memorializing Best:

"My heart goes out to the family of Rick Best. They have lost a husband and a father, and we have lost a treasured employee.

"Rick worked for the city for a little more than two years and was a valued member of our Bureau of Development Services team. And as a veteran, he served our country with honor and distinction. He stood up for two young women and others he didn't even know — all because he wanted to help.

"Losing a colleague is hard. Losing someone under these circumstances makes it even worse. We are very saddened at the loss of Rick and we will remember him fondly as we move forward.''

Eudaly has asked city human resources to make sure there are counselors available to bureau staff when staff return to work on Tuesday.

-- Elliot Njus

Maxine Bernstein and Molly Harbarger contributed to this report.