Dayton Chronicle - Your Hometown News Source

Donald D. Bales

June 22, 1930–November 27, 2020

"Donnie Dean" was born to Art and Freda Bales in Dayton, Wash. The Bales family home at 1400 South 4th Street was the setting for many memories as his parents lived there for 62 years. Don attended school in Dayton where he participated in numerous sports and activities. He especially loved football and "Number 55" was a well-respected offensive and defensive guard on the Dayton High School squad.

Don graduated from Dayton High School in 1948. Shortly thereafter he found the love of his life in Carol Bushnell and on September 17, 1950, they started 62 years of married life together.

In 1952 Don enlisted in the United States Air Force. He spent his entire enlistment "stateside" assigned to the special weapons section at bases in Illinois and Kansas. Don was honorably discharged as a Staff Sergeant in 1955, and he and Carol returned briefly to Dayton.

In 1956 Don and Carol moved to "the west side" as Don started a 33-year career with the Boeing Company. In 1958 Don and Carol started their family with the birth of son David (Scott), followed in 1962 by Mike and in 1966 by Tim. The boys mostly grew up in the Marysville area as Don worked at the Boeing Tulalip Test site. Don had integral roles in the testing of cutting-edge jet technology–including the rocket engines that took the Apollo missions to the moon.

In 1979 the family moved to the Newport Hills area of Bellevue where they lived for the next 11 years. Don retired from Boeing in 1990 and he and Carol moved to Spokane to help aging parents. Retirement years were spent visiting family and friends, serving those in need and doting on the grandchildren who started arriving in 1989.

Don served his community in many ways, including numerous roles at United Methodist Churches in Marysville, Bellevue, Audubon Park (Spokane), Mount Vernon and Sedro Woolley. Don was a "Jaycee", helped refurbish houses for Habitat for Humanity and served on committees for the Evergreen Area Council, Boy Scouts.

Don was a hard worker, a virtue that he instilled in his sons. But when possible, the family always looked forward to a trip to Twin Lakes in northeast Wash., for a week of fishing, swimming and relaxing. Twin Lakes became Don's "happy place" and in 1982 Don and Carol were elated to be able to purchase their own small vacation retreat there–a retreat that is still creating family memories today. When people look through Don and Carol's photo albums, they note there are more pictures at Twin Lakes then everything else combined.

The last few years had been difficult for Don due to health challenges and the death of his beloved Carol in 2012, but through it all he faced life with grace, kindness and a touch of well-placed stubbornness.

He will be missed, but his family rejoices in the knowledge that he is now reunited with his Lord and Savior, and joined by those who went before him, including wife Carol, parents Art and Freda, and brother Bill.

Don is survived by an older brother Jack, by sons Scott (Margaret), Mike (Judy) and Tim (Tamar) and by numerous grandchildren.

No formal services are planned.