A devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, he attended Benson High School and enlisted in the Navy in January of 1944. He served in World War II on the USS Wisconsin, and earned the Asiatic-Pacific Area Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.
Donald attended Portland State University’s first engineering class in 1946, then Oregon State University (Delta Tau Delta fraternity), graduating in Forestry Management in 1951.
An avid scouter, Donald spent more than 65 years of his life dedicated to the program where he earned the rank of Eagle Scout in Portland Troop 78.
Donald belonged to the Alpha Phi Omega, National Scout Service Fraternity, and became Scoutmaster of Troup 804 in 1970. All three of his sons earned the Eagle Scout rank during his 15-year tenure. In 1977, Troop 804 earned the top troop award for three consecutive years in the Thunderbird District, which was voted the top district in the Columbia Pacific council and the top council in the United States. Thus, Troop 804 was unofficially the top troop in the nation, an accomplishment he long treasured.
He worked for the Fremont National Forest as a timber beast; managing, marking, cruising and scaling timber. Later, Donald served as an appraiser with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for 31 years. He was the Chief Appraiser of the Lands Division when he retired in 1985. Not quite finished, he took a position with the Bonneville Power Administration as a land appraiser in their Salmon Restoration Program and retired for the second time in 1998, at age 71.
He enjoyed skiing, hiking, fishing, camping, wood-carving, his cats and dogs, music, dancing, adoring family and so much more. A list of achievements and citations follows:
1952 – Master Mason
1953 – Won the NW Ski Patrol contest
1963 – Silver Beaver Award
1964 – Scottish Rite
1974 – American Society of Farm Managers & Rural Appraiser’s Certificate
1974-76 – Oregon chapter Association of Federal Appraisers Certificate for services as a President
1981-84 – Oregon Association of Government Appraisers for distinguished service
1984 – U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service achievement award for superior service
1984 – Equal Employment Opportunity award recognition for special performance
1984 – Federal Executive Board, Federal Employee of the Year for community services
1984 – Department of the Interior, certificate of service on retirement
1987-88 – Gresham Elks Lodge 1805 Exalted Rulers award for outstanding service
Bronze, silver and gold Marmots for Skyline Trail backpacking 300 miles, Portland Area Council
42 Eagle scouts from Troop 804 in 31 years
Survivors include his beloved wife, Lorraine C. Kistner; children, Kendall Kistner and his wife Pattye, Valerie Heredia and her husband Alex, David Scott and his wife Shawna, Julie Scott and David Kistner; Grandchildren include Samantha, Brianna, Ryan, Alyssa, Sydney, Ellie and Corbin; his Great Grandchild Leighton, and one on the way; his step-mother, Mary Zurcher; and of course many nieces and nephews, friends, colleagues, former wife Gaylee Olsen and other cherished loved ones. He was pre-deceased by his parents, and his sister Lola Amacher.
His family will cherish his kindness, wholesomeness, dedication, humbleness, service to his country and community and the love for which he exuded to every living soul he encountered. We will miss him and cherish his loving memories forever and ever.
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