Death Notices PAID OBITUARY
Donald Larson
March 27, 1929 ~ April 16, 2017
Don, the second of six children, was born in Chowchilla, CA, to Dorothy and Joseph Larson on March 27, 1929. He worked with his father and brother, Rollo, on the family farm, went to school and graduated from Fresno Adventist Academy in 1947.
As a young man he enjoyed car racing at the local track and was known in the area. He spent time in the Army, where he was assigned the rank of sergeant during his 10 months of deployment in Korea. Shortly after returning from Korea, he married Marjorie Wilson and they had three children. After 52 years of marriage, he lost Marjorie in 2004 and has lived independently in the years since.
Don continued farming in the Chowchilla area for several years. He worked as an aircraft mechanic in Fresno as well as here in the local area. He had a passion for “all things airborne”; getting his pilot’s license in the mid 1960’s in central California. He retired in 1991 after working over 20 years for Columbia Helicopters.
Following the example left by his father, he enjoyed walking daily as one means to maintaining his health. During the nine years that he and Marjorie spent living full time in their RV, he walked daily wherever they may be; enjoying the scenery of every state in the contiguous United States. After settling down in Vancouver in 2000, he began walking the Lacamas Heritage Trail daily. During his walks, he met many people and was widely known amongst the community of people who enjoy the beauty of that place.
Don enjoyed working with wood on his lathe and was known for the many beautiful creations that came from that. Anyone visiting was “required” to take a piece from his heavily laden table before they left.
