Dr. Countryman was born on November 6th 1928 in Randolph, Nebraska. In 1946, he joined the United States Army, and was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, where he was a supply Sergeant. He served a total of 8 years in the military. In 1952, he married Marion Campbell, in Seattle, WA. The couple settled in Mount Vernon, WA, where he worked as an independent construction contractor, specializing in building private homes. Son, Dana was born in Mount Vernon in 1954. In 1956, the young family relocated to Greenville SC, where daughter Sharene was born the same year. In Greenville, he attended Bob Jones University, where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Theology in 1959. He also minored in music, and he was accomplished as a vocalist, guitarist and pianist.
Darrell pastored his first of many churches, beginning in 1960. In 1964, he helped start a new church, Calvary Baptist in Eugene, OR. In 1969, the Countryman family relocated to Lynnwood, WA where he started a new church, Faith Baptist. After 12 years in the ministry, Darrell went back to college at age 45, to earn a Master's Degree in psychology, specializing in family counseling. Along with his wife Marion, he started Lynnwood Counseling Service. In 1994, he earned his PhD in psychology.
On the creative side, Dr. Countryman loved music, wrote songs and poems, and had a passion for oil painting as well as drawing. He had a great sense of humor, and loved to tell jokes and to laugh. His favorite television program in the 1970s was The Bob Newhart Show, and part of Dr. Countryman's decision to become a clinical psychologist was influenced greatly by Bob Newhart's psychologist character on that show.
Dr. Countryman had a playful side, which included playing harmless gags on his friends, which once involved him climbing up on the roof of the family home to spray a neighbor with a garden hose, during a friendly water fight! He was a master craftsman, and he built much of the family furniture by hand. He was the ultimate handy man, and could repair cars, appliances and even watches! He loved gardening, and he had a passion for growing things in a greenhouse that he built behind their Lynnwood house. Over the years, he also dabbled in dog breeding, real estate sales, bee keeping, and welding.
He realized a lifelong dream to get his private pilot's license, and during his first solo flight his plane got into trouble. Flying, with zero visibility he was eventually able to bring the plane down safely in a remote lumber camp in the mountains. He later wrote, that this was the most frightening experience of his life. He also said that the fact that he survived was the perfect example that God answers prayers!
One of his favorite passions was writing poetry, and for almost every family event, Dr. Countryman would write a heartfelt poem, specifically for the person being honored at that event. At age 80, he published his first book of original poems, which is still for sale on amazon.com.
In his later years, he helped found a large Sunday School class for seniors at Canyon Hills Community Church. During Dr. Countryman's leadership there as Senior Emeritus Pastor, the class swelled to over 100 members. Over his lifetime, Dr. Countryman and his wife Marion led countless people to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Several of the people he saved went on to become ministers, and in one case, even the child of one of these ministers went on to become a minister.
Both as a minister and as a psychologist, Dr. Countryman helped many individuals and many families. Although he was somewhat quiet in personality, he had a strong love for people, and sincerely wanted to do all he could to help them live better lives. He was certified as a hypnotherapist, and as such he specialized in helping people with weight loss, smoking cessation and overcoming emotional effects of past sexual abuse.
Over the last four years, Dr. Countryman occupied much of his time, writing a book on Christian faith and church building. The book is scheduled to be published in early April.
He bravely fought cancer of the mouth during the last 8 years of his life, eventually succumbing to that disease.
Dr. Countryman is survived by his wife of 64 years, Marion, and by his children, daughter Sharene Bainbridge, her husband Scott Bainbridge, son Dana Countryman, his wife Tricia Countryman, as well as his two grandchildren, Matthew Countryman, Emily Yee (Bainbridge) and her husband Devin Yee.
Our family would like to thank Dr. Countryman's doctors, especially Dr. Rocky Mazzeo for his caring guidance over the years, as well as to Providence Hospice Center, who cared for him in his final days.
- Marion, Dana and Sharene (Bainbridge) Countryman
Arrangements Entrusted to Bleitz Funeral Home of Seattle, Washington.
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