Fernando Proano visited his father, Dr. Augusto "Gus" Proano, in his retirement home in Vancouver, Washington on the night that the Portland Timbers won the 2015 MLS Cup.

The elder Proano was already battling Alzheimer's disease at that point, but still lit up with pride when his son told him that the Timbers had finally won a championship. He gleefully wore his Timbers scarf for the rest of the night.

"It was really significant to see my dad's dream of a championship fulfilled," Fernando said. "He always considered the MLS Timbers to be his team."

Augusto Proano, who was an original founder and owner of the North American Soccer League Timbers and leader in introducing soccer to Vancouver and the Northwest, died peacefully on August 25, 2017 at the age of 91.

The Timbers will celebrate Proano's incredible legacy Sunday ahead of their home match against Orlando City SC with a moment of silence before the national anthem.

Proano's investment in the Timbers in 1975 was critical in securing the franchise for Portland.

Early on, Proano, an accomplished psychiatrist and entrepreneur, had expressed an interest in investing in the NASL team, but the ownership group was planning to only accept investments from within Portland.

But with the deadline looming, the ownership group remained $20,000 short and original owner Don Paul reached out to Proano to try to secure a late investment. Proano was on vacation in Las Vegas, but quickly agreed to put in a significant investment, becoming one of the final and critical investors in the Timbers. On January 23, 1975, the league officially awarded Portland a franchise.

The Timbers went on to make a run to the Soccer Bowl that season before losing to the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The team also beat Seattle in the playoffs that year in front of a record-breaking crowd of over 31,000 fans and the term "Soccer City, USA" was first coined to describe Portland. It was the start of Portland's love affair with soccer and put the city on a path that ultimately led it to secure an MLS franchise in 2011.

Proano's decision to invest in the Timbers was less about good business and more about his deep passion for the sport.

Proano, who was born in Quito, Ecuador on January 9, 1926, remained committed throughout his life to bringing soccer to the Northwest.

He was a pioneer in introducing youth soccer to Vancouver in 1967 when he became one of the original four coaches associated with the Oregon Youth Soccer Association. His teams went on to win several state titles.

"Dad was very gung-ho about soccer and introducing soccer to the United States," Fernando said. "He introduced soccer to our family. He introduced soccer to our neighborhood. He introduced soccer to our city."

Some of Proano's youth players went on to play for the University of Portland and Proano became an assistant coach and team doctor for the Pilots team in 1977, the first year the team was NCAA-sanctioned. Proano and the other 1977 University of Portland coaches and players were honored at a University of Portland game on the night that Proano died on Aug. 25.

"He definitely had a big impact on soccer in Portland and the Northwest," Fernando said.

-- Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com

503-853-3761 | @jamiebgoldberg