Donald Stanley Kelley

Don was born November 8th, 1944 in Portland, Oregon, the son of Richard Maxell “Max” Kelley and Elnora May “Puddles” Kelley. He attended Russellville Grade School, St. Mary’s School, and David Douglas. After school, Don did a short stint with the US Army and then worked at his uncle Carl Hoff’s equipment yard. Realizing that he needed steady money, he eventually went to work at Halton Tractor Co. doing Caterpillar heavy equipment repair as a diesel mechanic, which he retired from in 2010.

Halton Co. represented Caterpillar after the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. Don worked on the mountain to help keep crucial heavy machinery going during the subsequent cleanup efforts: moving volcanic ash, silt, and debris. Air filters on the equipment would quickly clog with ash, making maintenance imperative.

In 1968, Don was one of the original 13 charter members that formed the Outsiders Motorcycle Club in Portland. He owned several Harley Davidson motorcycles and loved building choppers. During the 1970s, he won multiple van shows with his 1976 Chevrolet van.

In 1975, Don’s first child Amy was born to Jan Tatham. His sons Edward (1979) and Joseph (1982) were born to Carolyn Graf.

Don was an avid fisherman and loved fishing for sturgeon and salmon on the Columbia River with his brother and sons. After retiring, Don enjoyed woodcutting/logging in the Mt. Hood National Forest, woodworking, building log splitters and trailers, golfing, and working on his motorcycle.

Don is survived by his brother Richard, his daughter Amy, two sons Edward and Joseph, and grandchildren Grace and Noah. He was preceded in death by his partner Carolyn, his mother Elnora, and his father Richard.

A burial will be held at 10:30AM on Saturday October 4th, 2025 at the Summit Lake Cemetery in Reading Minnesota, where Donald will be laid to rest with his beloved Carolyn Graf. A celebration of life will be held in Oregon on November 8th 2025.