Don Edwin Sullivan

Don Sullivan, a long-time resident of Walla Walla peacefully passed away at his home on Sunday, February 18, 2018, he was 96 years old.

Upon graduating from Oregon City High School, Don moved to Salinas, California to attend college and play basketball.  One of the classes he took was aviation.

When WWII began Don served in the Army Air Force.  Fortunately for Don and his later to be son, he developed vertigo and a badly infected knee.  Having washed out of pilot training, Don served as a B-17 electrical specialist.  He was stationed in Kimbolton, England and later in Benghazi, Libya.

After the war, Don attended Reed College in Portland where he met and married Medora Matteson.  In 1950, their only child Mark, came into the world.

Don worked in the adult correction division of Washington State most of his life.  He was a parole officer, a regional administrator and was honored to be chosen by Governor Dan Evans to sit on the Parole Board.

Don especially enjoyed the outdoors and being with nature.  He was a backpacker, canoer, prospector, rock-hound, hunter, horseman, dog trainer, boater, golfer, adventurer and lifetime fisherman.  He hiked parts of the Pacific Crest Trail and canoed a ring of Canadian lakes for 10 days.  He packed into the Pasayten Wilderness region with horses and mules.  He journeyed up the Snake and Imnaha rivers for days in the boat he built.

Being of Irish heritage, Don was wonderful storyteller and favored social get-togethers.  When don retired he and Medora wintered in Yuma with a troupe of like-minded souls.  Most everyone who came to know Don heard at least a couple of his stories and, yes, most of them were true.  Don lived a rich and colorful life and in doing so, touched many others along the way.

Don is survived by his son Mark Sullivan of Bow, WA., brother Bob Sullivan of Hillsboro, OR., grandchildren Eric Sullivan and Stefany Sullivan both of Olympia, WA.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife Medora M. Sullivan.

Funeral Services will be held Thursday, March 1, 2018 at 2:00PM at St. Paul Episcopal Church with Reverend Andrew Cooley, officiant. Interment will be held Saturday, March 3, 2018 at Mountain View Cemetery in Oregon City, Oregon at 11:00AM.

Memorial Contributions may be made to the Blue Mountain Humane Society through the Herring Groseclose Funeral Home, 315 W. Alder, Walla Walla, WA.

Family and Friends are invited to sign the online guestbook at www.herringgrosclose.com