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Donald Van Maren
12/19/1933 — 07/28/2015
From Richland, WA | Born in DesMoines, ID
Donald Van Maren
Don Van Maren was a man known by many names. He was Don to his parents Katherine and
Harold, older brother Bruce, and younger sister Donna. To some he was Dr. Van Maren, the Optometrist
who gave the best eye exam in Wallowa County and could tell by looking in your
eyes what you ate for breakfast. To many
others he was Uncle Don who would drive his yellow boat around and around
Wallowa Lake so his kids’ friends could water ski. He was Dad who shared his love for hunting,
horseback riding, hiking and traveling with the five children he adored and was
so proud of. He was Grandpa to 9
grandchildren and Great Grandpa to two.
He was Honey to his wife Jeanne with whom he shared almost 61 years of
marriage. He was a Child of God who went
home to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on July 28, 2015 at the age of
81.
Don is survived by his wife, Jeanne; children: Carrie (Al) Fiedler, Lucinda (Rod) Lough, Mike (Robyn) Van Maren, David (Maureen) Van Maren, and Beth (Zachary) Grant; sister, Donna (George) Gaston; 9 grandchildren: Anna, Sarah, Lisa, Lauren, Dan, Caroline, Emily, Grace and Malachi; and 2 great-grandchildren: Micah and Isaac.
The family thanks the staff at Sheffield Manor in Prosser, WA who so lovingly cared for Don the last three months of his earthly life.
Funeral service at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, August 5, 2015 at
Events at Sunset, with graveside to follow at Sunset Gardens, 915 Bypass Hwy in
Richland.
In lieu of flower donations may be made to the Bible Truth Publishers, 59 Industrial Road, P.O. Box 649
Addison, IL 60101.
Don’s sweetness was apparent even during the short time we knew him. Our thoughts and prayers are with you, Jeanne. Your special spirit and long devotion made Don’s difficulties all the more bearable. You are an inspiration. God Bless you and yours as you move ahead.
Stephen and I were saddened to hear about your loss. Even when I met him as a teen, he struck me as more than just my friends’ dad; He was a quiet, loving, generous man. We pray for God’s perfect comfort for you all.
Don you have inspired many people in your walk of life. The last years has been very hard to live in a wheel chair you always had a smile when we meet. You will be missed.
On behalf of all of your neighbors and friends at Badger Mountain Village, we want to extend our sympathy to you, Jeanne. We also want to recognize you and Don for your service on the Board of Directors for our community.
Badger Mountain Village Homeowners Association
Board of Directors
Neighbors
Friends
Dear Family,
Remembering Dr. Van Maren fondly today…he was the most amazing eye doctor for me. I had glasses for a few years and he thought that I could wear contacts- this opened up a whole new world to me. Being able to really see with such clarity was a gift to a 13 year old girl! I wore them for more than 40 years and just recently have had to go back to glasses. I always looked forward to our appointments because he also was a very nice man.
Thinking of Carrie today and her mom and the rest of the family.
Holding you in my prayers,Lorri
Guestbook for
Donald Van Maren