Donald Dale Stebbins

Donald Dale Stebbins was born Oct. 25, 1947 in Colville, Wash., to Vern and Neta Stebbins and died Oct. 15, 2015 in Medical Lake at the age of 67 from liver cancer.

Don was a loving husband and father. Despite numerous setbacks and health issues, he always maintained a sense of humor and a good attitude. He loved to tell humorous stories and recite funny poems. He enjoyed badminton, ping pong, bowling, pool and riding his motorcycle, until he gave it up following a bad accident. He loved to read, but he also went fishing and climbing and caving. He loved adventure and the outdoors.

Don graduated from Kent-Meridian Senior High School in Kent, Wash., in 1965. He soon enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served from 1966 – 1969, including 13 months in Vietnam.

He graduated from the University of Oregon in 1973 with a B.S. in psychology, and later became a nurse. In 1984, Don enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve where he served for over 20 years. In 1990, he was deployed to Bremerhaven, Germany, in support of Desert Shield/Desert Storm, where he was an operating room specialist and practical nurse.

In 1987, Don met his future wife, Marilynn Ewert, and they married eight months later. After their marriage, they lived in Portland and Seattle before moving to Seaside, Ore.

Don and Marilynn's first child, Jeremy, was born in 1989, followed by Joshua in 1993 and Jonathan in 1994. The family lived in Camas, Wash., for about 10 years before moving on to Medical Lake in 2003 where they bought their current house. Don worked as a nurse at Eastern Washington State Hospital for a number of years before health problems necessitated his retirement.

Don is survived by his wife, Marilynn; his three sons, Jeremy (Cheryl), Joshua and Jonathan; his baby granddaughter, Miriam, and four siblings: Mark Stebbins, of Stockton, Calif., the Rev. Dr. Carol Mariano of Mercer Island, Wash.; Kathy Bruni of Woodinville, Wash., and Merry Shipman of Aurora, Ore.

Services were held Oct. 24.