Merrill Donevan (Don) Cole, 83, died on October 18, 2004 at home in Olympia with his three daughters at his side. Don, as he was known to friends and family throughout his life, was born in Arlington, Washington on November 22, 1920. He was the youngest of Martha Elizabeth and Ezra Ottis Cole's four children. He had many fond memories of his early days at the family's Cloverbloom Ranch in Riverside where he worked on the farm and hunted and fished with his father and older brother.
Don attended Granite Falls High School and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. He served in the Pacific Theatre of Operations, attained the rank of Staff Sergeant and was honorably discharged on January 22, 1946.
Don married his Arlington "sweetheart" Helen Johnette Diesing, on January 4, 1942 in Yuma, Arizona, while he was serving in San Diego. After the war, Don and Helen returned to the Seattle area where Don worked as a service manager for Sears Roebuck. Don's career took his family to Burnaby, British Columbia in 1954 and to Rexdale, Ontario, Canada in 1956. The years in Rexdale were filled with family camping and fishing trips in the Great Lakes region during the summer, and sledding and ice-skating adventures on the Humber River during the winter. In 1962, the family returned to Washington and lived in Edmonds for 10 years. After 34 years of service with Sears, Don retired in 1980 and he and Helen lived for a time in the home Don designed and built in Chelan. They spent winters in Marysville and then in Arizona where they eventually bought a home in Sun City. Don and Helen returned to Olympia to be near their daughters in 1999.
Don will forever be remembered by his family, friends, and co-workers as a loving son, husband, father, uncle, father-in-law, grandfather and great-grandfather; as a fair and effective mentor and manager; and as a capable and principled man who took pride in all his endeavors and who preferred staying busy with projects, hobbies, and outdoor pursuits. He loved to hunt deer and elk and was an excellent marksman with a rifle and a bow. He also loved to fish for trout, steelhead, and salmon. It seems he could build or repair anything. He loved golf. He enjoyed boating in the San Juan Islands. And, he traveled by motor home with Helen to favorite spots in Washington, California, Arizona, Idaho, and British Columbia, until her death in 1999.
Don attended Granite Falls High School and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. He served in the Pacific Theatre of Operations, attained the rank of Staff Sergeant and was honorably discharged on January 22, 1946.
Don married his Arlington "sweetheart" Helen Johnette Diesing, on January 4, 1942 in Yuma, Arizona, while he was serving in San Diego. After the war, Don and Helen returned to the Seattle area where Don worked as a service manager for Sears Roebuck. Don's career took his family to Burnaby, British Columbia in 1954 and to Rexdale, Ontario, Canada in 1956. The years in Rexdale were filled with family camping and fishing trips in the Great Lakes region during the summer, and sledding and ice-skating adventures on the Humber River during the winter. In 1962, the family returned to Washington and lived in Edmonds for 10 years. After 34 years of service with Sears, Don retired in 1980 and he and Helen lived for a time in the home Don designed and built in Chelan. They spent winters in Marysville and then in Arizona where they eventually bought a home in Sun City. Don and Helen returned to Olympia to be near their daughters in 1999.
Don will forever be remembered by his family, friends, and co-workers as a loving son, husband, father, uncle, father-in-law, grandfather and great-grandfather; as a fair and effective mentor and manager; and as a capable and principled man who took pride in all his endeavors and who preferred staying busy with projects, hobbies, and outdoor pursuits. He loved to hunt deer and elk and was an excellent marksman with a rifle and a bow. He also loved to fish for trout, steelhead, and salmon. It seems he could build or repair anything. He loved golf. He enjoyed boating in the San Juan Islands. And, he traveled by motor home with Helen to favorite spots in Washington, California, Arizona, Idaho, and British Columbia, until her death in 1999.
Merrill Donevan (Don) Cole, 83, died on October 18, 2004 at home in Olympia with his three daughters at his side. Don, as he was known to friends and family throughout his life, was born in Arlington, Washington on November 22, 1920. He was the youngest of Martha Elizabeth and Ezra Ottis Cole's four children. He had many fond memories of his early days at the family's Cloverbloom Ranch in Riverside where he worked on the farm and hunted and fished with his father and older brother.
Don attended Granite Falls High School and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. He served in the Pacific Theatre of Operations, attained the rank of Staff Sergeant and was honorably discharged on January 22, 1946.
Don married his Arlington "sweetheart" Helen Johnette Diesing, on January 4, 1942 in Yuma, Arizona, while he was serving in San Diego. After the war, Don and Helen returned to the Seattle area where Don worked as a service manager for Sears Roebuck. Don's career took his family to Burnaby, British Columbia in 1954 and to Rexdale, Ontario, Canada in 1956. The years in Rexdale were filled with family camping and fishing trips in the Great Lakes region during the summer, and sledding and ice-skating adventures on the Humber River during the winter. In 1962, the family returned to Washington and lived in Edmonds for 10 years. After 34 years of service with Sears, Don retired in 1980 and he and Helen lived for a time in the home Don designed and built in Chelan. They spent winters in Marysville and then in Arizona where they eventually bought a home in Sun City. Don and Helen returned to Olympia to be near their daughters in 1999.
Don will forever be remembered by his family, friends, and co-workers as a loving son, husband, father, uncle, father-in-law, grandfather and great-grandfather; as a fair and effective mentor and manager; and as a capable and principled man who took pride in all his endeavors and who preferred staying busy with projects, hobbies, and outdoor pursuits. He loved to hunt deer and elk and was an excellent marksman with a rifle and a bow. He also loved to fish for trout, steelhead, and salmon. It seems he could build or repair anything. He loved golf. He enjoyed boating in the San Juan Islands. And, he traveled by motor home with Helen to favorite spots in Washington, California, Arizona, Idaho, and British Columbia, until her death in 1999.
Don attended Granite Falls High School and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. He served in the Pacific Theatre of Operations, attained the rank of Staff Sergeant and was honorably discharged on January 22, 1946.
Don married his Arlington "sweetheart" Helen Johnette Diesing, on January 4, 1942 in Yuma, Arizona, while he was serving in San Diego. After the war, Don and Helen returned to the Seattle area where Don worked as a service manager for Sears Roebuck. Don's career took his family to Burnaby, British Columbia in 1954 and to Rexdale, Ontario, Canada in 1956. The years in Rexdale were filled with family camping and fishing trips in the Great Lakes region during the summer, and sledding and ice-skating adventures on the Humber River during the winter. In 1962, the family returned to Washington and lived in Edmonds for 10 years. After 34 years of service with Sears, Don retired in 1980 and he and Helen lived for a time in the home Don designed and built in Chelan. They spent winters in Marysville and then in Arizona where they eventually bought a home in Sun City. Don and Helen returned to Olympia to be near their daughters in 1999.
Don will forever be remembered by his family, friends, and co-workers as a loving son, husband, father, uncle, father-in-law, grandfather and great-grandfather; as a fair and effective mentor and manager; and as a capable and principled man who took pride in all his endeavors and who preferred staying busy with projects, hobbies, and outdoor pursuits. He loved to hunt deer and elk and was an excellent marksman with a rifle and a bow. He also loved to fish for trout, steelhead, and salmon. It seems he could build or repair anything. He loved golf. He enjoyed boating in the San Juan Islands. And, he traveled by motor home with Helen to favorite spots in Washington, California, Arizona, Idaho, and British Columbia, until her death in 1999.
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