Obituary of Donald A. Sears

Donald A. Sears Don Sears died September 26, 2011 at Providence Hospital in Olympia, Washington after a brave battle with cancer. Don was born May 29, 1941 in Tacoma, Washington to Buck and Helen Sears, who predeceased him. He was a member of the Steilacoom Indian Tribe by his father’s side. He joined the United States Army in 1960 after high school. In 1963, he graduated from Bates Vocational College as a Civil Engineer and was employed by Weyerhaeuser Company. In 1968, he became employed with the U.S. Forest Service and continued his education in land surveying. While employed with the Forest Service, he also fought forest fires in Oregon and Washington. He became a General Contractor in 1979, designing and building houses until he became employed with the City of Olympia in 1986, from which he retired in June, 2004. From 1963 to 1982, he was married to Joan Snyder and they had two daughters. Don was an avid gardener, outdoorsman, and loved fishing. He fished commercially at a point in his life and traveled by boat to Alaska. His love of animals was contagious and he had rescued many critters in his lifetime. He was an amateur photographer and enjoyed taking films of animals and the outdoors. He looked forward to the summer months of camping, hiking, and going on road trips with his daughters, dogs, and friends. Don is survived by his daughter Carolyn and partner Rob; daughter Christina, husband Doug and grandsons Jacob and Benny; brother Dale, wife Joyce, nephew Nathan and niece Caryn; sister Shirley, husband Ray, nephew Don and niece Lisa; his dog Harvey and cat Bandit; grandogs Hobo, Zach, and Angus; grandcats Pumpkin, Papa, Scruffleton, and Fred, whom he loved very much. When God made Don, he must have had a mischievous twinkle in his eye, for there will never be another Don Sears. His family and friends will miss him very much and he will be in our hearts forever. Stop by the Powder Keg Bar and Grill on Old Highway 99 and have a burger and beer in his memory some day. Per Don’s request, this coming summer, there will be a celebration of his life and he will go camping and fishing with us all one last time in the Olympic mountains. Any donations can be made to “Concern for Animals” and the “American Cancer Society.” Please leave memories of Don or condolences for the family in the Guestbook below.