Donald Leon Williams

A memorial service with military honors to celebrate the life of Donald Leon Williams,91, of Lakeside, will be held at 1pm, Saturday, January 18 at Coos Bay Chapel, 685 Anderson Avenue in Coos Bay. 

Donald was born August 24, 1933 in Fall River, Kansas. Don's family moved to LaJunta, Colorado because Don's great uncle had been a scout with Kit Carson. Don's family then moved to the Oregon coast. Don and his many siblings with his parents lived in numerous locations around Coos County, including Bridge, Bancroft, Dellwood and Allegheny, to name a few.

Don graduated from North Bend high school and soon after, joined the Air Force and was stationed in San Bernardino, California. He worked in the medical department. His children, Lorraine and Harley were both born at the airbase and precede him in death.

Don was an avid hunter going as far as Alaska to hunt moose and made countless trips to the Alvord Ranch in eastern Oregon. He was an accomplished aviator and flew a Navion as a commercial multi-engine pilot for many years. He was known to hike Mount Hood on more than one occasion. He was a chemistry and microbiology instructor in the early days of SWOCC’s nursing program.

He was part of a team of Rotarians that traveled to Peru, South America, to work on a school and provide medical care to village residents. Don was the manager for McCowan’s laboratory and eventually went onto start Coast Medical Laboratory. In addition to running the laboratory, Don owned the A&W drive in and the car wash in Bunker Hill in the mid- 70s. Don moved to Lakeside several years after purchasing a piece of property that was boat access only in 1971. He lived out the remainder of his life enjoying working around the property on countless projects.

 He has survived in death by his wife, Norma Williams; his granddaughter, Rachel Stappler; his brother, Jim Williams, and two great-grandchildren, Sophia and Gabriel Stappler.

Arrangements are under the care of Coos Bay Chapel, 541-267-3131 www.coosbayareafunerals.com

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