Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death.
Donald Fults passed away peacefully in his home surrounded by family on November 25, 2013. Donald was born in Glendale, California on August 21, 1931 to Clint and Margaret Fults. In 1941 the family moved to Escondido California. It was there that Don graduated from high school in 1949. Don decided to put his interest and talent for training horses to good use in order to raise money for college. He graduated from Biola University with a BA in Bible, San Diego University with a MA in Counseling. In 1956, Don married Shirley Schwarz in their hometown of Escondido.
Not long after getting married, Don took a position in Newton Kansas as a minister of youth and music. While later pastoring a church in San Diego, Don and his wife Shirley accepted a position with Overseas Crusades to become missionaries in Columbia, South America. Don, Shirley, and their four children served there for approximately eight years. Even after returning to the United States, Don continued to serve with Overseas Crusades and Luis Palau’s evangelistic team off and on for 27 years. He also
pastored churches in Eugene, OR and Monmouth, OR. Don and Shirley’s missionary work with Overseas Crusades continued as they served in Argentina for three years in the late eighties.
After pastoring a church in Newport, Washington, Don and Shirley moved to the Gorge to be near family in 1996. To keep busy Don taught at Columbia High School in White Salmon, WA, and then took a position at La Clinica in Hood River as a diabetes educator.
In 2002, they moved to The Dalles where Don served as an elder for Calvary Baptist Church. During his retirement years Don enjoyed mining and faceting natural gems and photography. However, his main focus, as it had been all his life, was to continue serving the Lord.
Don is survived by his wife Shirley and their four children; Deborah DeHaven and her husband Dan of Hood River; Dave Fults and his wife Joyce of Hood River; Don Fults Jr. and his wife Lori of Eugene; Dan Fults and his wife Sharon of Eugene, 11 grandchildren, and 6 great grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at Calvary Baptist Church in The Dalles, Oregon on December 7th at 11:00 a.m. In leu of flowers, contributions may be made to Don Fults Memorial /Medical Ambassadors Fund through Calvary Baptist Church.
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