Gresham resident Don George Wallenstein passed away on January 21, 2011. He was 87. A funeral service will be held at 12 pm on Tuesday, February 1 at Bateman Carroll Funeral Home. A committal service with Military Honors will be held at 2 pm at Willamette National Cemetery.
Don was born January 13, 1924 in St. Anthony, Idaho to George and Stella (Daniels) Wallenstein. The family moved to Gresham in the early 1940s and Don graduated from high school in 1942. He enlisted in the United States Army the following November and served during WWII. He was Honorably Discharged in 1948. Upon returning to the States, Don married Lorene Jennings on June 28, 1946. They adopted George and Bonnie and raise their children in Gresham. Lorene passed away in 1997. Don married Mette Jensen and they were together until her death in 2009.
Don loved to hunt. He grew up fishing and swimming in the swimming holes along Henry’s Fork of the Snake River. As an adult, he wasn’t as interested in fishing, but fished anyway for Lorene who enjoyed the result of his efforts. Don was a member of the Elks Lodge for 48 years. Don also loved to travel whether it was cruises to Alaska or spending weeks at a time at his timeshare in Cancun. His timeshare sat on the 9th hole of a golf course, another hobby he enjoyed. Don’s golfing claim to fame was when he hit a hole-in-one in the mid-1990s. Don had a terrific sense of humor which was demonstrated with each morning’s newspaper. He would flip straight to the funny pages, always reading the comics first. Don kept his mind sharp by completing the paper’s daily crossword puzzle. In recent years, Don was feeding 21 ring neck turtle doves and countless morning doves in his driveway every morning. Most important to Don was his family and he lived his life for his love, Lorene.
Don was preceded in death by his first wife, Lorene and second wife, Mette. He is survived by his son, George Wallenstein and his wife, Janice of Portland; daughter, Bonnie Richard of Gresham; 6 grandchildren, Steven Wallenstein; Laura Wallenstein; Tara Smith; Tiffany Stevenson; Lisa Randall; and Terea Wallenstein; and 9 great-grandchildren, Preston Whitlock; Cole Whitlock; Katherine Whitlock; Coby Smith; Jake Smith; Skylar Randall; Jonathan Blake Ash; Starlyne Stevenson; and Baileigh Hubbard.
Memorial contributions may be sent to the Food Bank of Oregon.
Arrangements under the direction of Bateman Carroll Funeral Home, Gresham, OR.
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