Obituary: Donald Manley

Burial and military honors will take place the following week at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland.

Don was born on July 9, 1932, in Portville, N.Y. He was the youngest of three children born to John and Delores (White) Manley. He was raised and received his education in Buffalo, N.Y.

He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force after high school and served his country in the Korean War. Don worked as an airplane mechanic and armorer. He was honorably discharged as a Staff Sgt. following nine years of service.

Don met his future wife, Beverly Joan Eells, through mutual friends. They soon began dating and following a short courtship they married on Feb. 26, 1961, in Klamath Falls, Ore. They moved to Hood River in 1963 and raised their two daughters, Sue and Lorna. Don also had two children from a previous marriage, Donald D. and Linda. Don and Bev raised their girls on a 10-acre cherry orchard farm, which took a great amount of the family’s spare time. Upon retirement they sold the farm and moved to Cornelius to be closer to their grandchildren. Beverly passed away on June 5, 2006.

Upon moving to Oregon, he worked as and orchardist and a volunteer firefighter with Pine Grove Fire Department, Pine Grove, Ore. He then went to the Police Academy and started working as a Police Officer for the City of Hood River. In 1976, he began working for Diamond Fruit Growers as their maintenance engineer, a position he retired from in 1994.

Don enjoyed the outdoors, camping, hunting and fishing. He loved to cook, play golf and go bowling with his neighbor, Larry.

He was also an active sportsman playing adult softball and coaching girls’ softball, Little League as well as high school. He was an avid fan of his granddaughters’ teams. Don was known as “Teddy Bear” to most of his softball girls. They were all considered his daughters. He also loved to go to his grandson’s football and baseball games. Don loved to spend time with his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He enjoyed reading and watching westerns, rode horses when he was younger as well as played trumpet.

He is preceded in death by his loving wife, Beverly, his parents, John and Delores, and his sister, Patricia Ann Yehl.

He is survived by his 96-year-old sister, Donna Raye Shirey of Olean, N.Y., and four children and their spouses, Donald D. and Debbie Manley of Coos Bay, Ore., Linda Pacos of Ft. Worth, Texas, Sue and Dave Viebrock of Woodinville, Wash., and Lorna and Rodney Douglas of Forest Grove. He was blessed with 14 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests remembrances to be made to The Life Flight Network or charity of their choice. A complete obituary and guestbook is at dvfuneralhome.com. Duyck & VanDeHey Funeral Homes is in care of the arrangements.