Donner Fearing Obituary

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Donner Fearing (Milwaukie, Oregon), born in Hayward, California, who passed away on March 6, 2023, at the age of 98, leaving to mourn family and friends. Leave a sympathy message to the family on the memorial page of Donner Fearing to pay them a last tribute.

A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, April 9th 2023 from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the Summerfield Community Center and Golf Course (10650 Summerfield Drive Tigard, Oregon 97224).

Surrounded by family, Donner Fearing passed away in a peaceful slumber, on March 6th, 2023. He was born on January 23, 1925 in Hayward, California to Katherine and Elek Fearing. That was the beginning of a very long, productive life.
He attended Tigard High School and excelled in both academics and athletics. Don was a three-sport letterman participating in football, basketball, and baseball with a spattering of other sports thrown in when needed to field a team. He was skilled in Ping Pong, Pool, Adult baseball leagues, and Golf.
During his senior year in High School, his father passed away just before his 18th birthday, and soon after he joined the military to go to war like many before him. He went into the artillery division and followed the brave soldiers across the English channel to Omaha beach 3 days after D-Day. He fought to the end of the war and was injured in the leg by shrapnel from an enemy incoming round in which others in his unit didn't fair so well. He spoke rarely about his wartime experience and considered it to be his duty as an U.S. citizen.
After the war, he continued to serve in Alaska for a few years. He then returned to Tigard to help support his Mother.
Don's personality was contagious; he never met a stranger. Every person in the world, to him, was just a friend he hadn’t met yet. He always saw the good in people. Sometimes, that’s all he would see, even if no one else could see it. Many would describe him as "Charming."
Finding work after his time in the service was his next hurdle, being many soldiers were returning to do the same thing. Field Artillery wasn't exactly a skill that translated into a Civilian career. He trained and worked in watch-making/repair for a period of time, drove truck for Pepsi Cola, and then began his long term career, first as a beginning Dental Technician in Portland.
In 1953 he was introduced to a friend of a friend for a social gathering, her name was Bonnie Roberts, a widow with 4 children. They were quite smitten with each other and within 6 months married in a small wedding ceremony. Their 70th wedding anniversary was February 24th, 2023, one day after Bonnie's 97th birthday.
Soon after while being blissfully married, 2 children were added to the original 4 and the entire gang moved to a vintage house in Garden Home, Oregon, a 3 story house with 5 bedrooms and 1 bathroom, a large bathroom.
From there they moved to Tigard, not far from his childhood home, and soon decided to start his own business as a Dental Technician and bought a building near Multnomah. He retired at age 62, and his hobby of playing golf became an almost 7 day a week passion. While Golfing with the Summerfield Men's Club, he won the Championship 8 times. The plaques are still hanging on the wall of fame in the Summerfield clubhouse, as well as many other awards of his. He had also golfed at Progress Downs (now Red Tail) golf course, won the club championship at least once and many other events. During his time there he served as President for the Board of Directors. An ongoing honor was serving as a member of the OGA (Oregon Golf Association) Course Rating Team. He traveled statewide as one of a team of golf enthusiasts and trained experts responsible for measuring golf hole distances and scoring their range of difficulty to help set a course rating for handicap and "slope", He was able to play most if not every golf course in Oregon during his years on this team. It was both an honor and a pleasure he cherished.
After the youngest child moved out of the home, they moved to a new home in Summerfield, and Don's mother came to live with them almost the rest of her life, which lasted past her 100th birthday.
Don and Bonnie worked hard for everything they had, both loving parents and spouse to one another, they showed their children, family and friends love and appreciation for simple things in life. They held many get togethers (parties) for friends and families, picnics, camping, and fishing in Dad's boat. He spent more time untangling his kids fishing lines that getting his own line and pole in the water.
Husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, great grandfather, brother, uncle, coach, mentor, and friend, Don touched many lives. During his last years, with failing sight and hearing, his love of golf and poker with the boys was now a distant memory.
The family will be hosting a celebration of his life at Summerfield Golf Course on Sunday, April 9th, 2023. It will begin at 3pm and we will provide light refreshments, snacks and will be open to those of you who wish to tell or write a fond memory you have of Don.
The family has asked to forgo sending flowers but to possibly make a donation to the charity of their choice.
Surviving family members:
Wife; Bonita (Bonnie) Fearing, children; Donald L. Roberts, Michael J .Roberts (passed), John F. Roberts (passed), Mary J. (Roberts) Peterson, son-in-law Jerome Peterson, Mitchel P. Fearing, Steven M. Fearing.
12 grandchildren, 30 great grandchildren.

Steve Fearing
To:
Steve Fearing

Sat, Mar 25 at 5:04 PM

Surrounded by family, Donner Fearing passed away in a peaceful slumber, on March 6th, 2023. He was born on January 23, 1925 in Hayward, California to Katherine and Elek Fearing. That was the beginning of a very long, productive life.
He attended Tigard High School and excelled in both academics and athletics. Don was a three-sport letterman participating in football, basketball, and baseball with a spattering of other sports thrown in when needed to field a team. He was skilled in Ping Pong, Pool, Adult baseball leagues, and Golf.
During his senior year in High School, his father passed away just before his 18th birthday, and soon after he joined the military to go to war like many before him. He went into the artillery division and followed the brave soldiers across the English channel to Omaha beach 3 days after D-Day. He fought to the end of the war and was injured in the leg by shrapnel from an enemy incoming round in which others in his unit didn't fair so well. He spoke rarely about his wartime experience and considered it to be his duty as an U.S. citizen.
After the war, he continued to serve in Alaska for a few years. He then returned to Tigard to help support his Mother.
Don's personality was contagious; he never met a stranger. Every person in the world, to him, was just a friend he hadn’t met yet. He always saw the good in people. Sometimes, that’s all he would see, even if no one else could see it. Many would describe him as "Charming."
Finding work after his time in the service was his next hurdle, being many soldiers were returning to do the same thing. Field Artillery wasn't exactly a skill that translated into a Civilian career. He trained and worked in watch-making/repair for a period of time, drove truck for Pepsi Cola, and then began his long term career, first as a beginning Dental Technician in Portland.
In 1953 he was introduced to a friend of a friend for a social gathering, her name was Bonnie Roberts, a widow with 4 children. They were quite smitten with each other and within 6 months married in a small wedding ceremony. Their 70th wedding anniversary was February 24th, 2023, one day after Bonnie's 97th birthday.
Soon after while being blissfully married, 2 children were added to the original 4 and the entire gang moved to a vintage house in Garden Home, Oregon, a 3 story house with 5 bedrooms and 1 bathroom, a large bathroom.
From there they moved to Tigard, not far from his childhood home, and soon decided to start his own business as a Dental Technician and bought a building near Multnomah. He retired at age 62, and his hobby of playing golf became an almost 7 day a week passion. While Golfing with the Summerfield Men's Club, he won the Championship 8 times. The plaques are still hanging on the wall of fame in the Summerfield clubhouse, as well as many other awards of his. He had also golfed at Progress Downs (now Red Tail) golf course, won the club championship at least once and many other events. During his time there he served as President for the Board of Directors. An ongoing honor was serving as a member of the OGA (Oregon Golf Association) Course Rating Team. He traveled statewide as one of a team of golf enthusiasts and trained experts responsible for measuring golf hole distances and scoring their range of difficulty to help set a course rating for handicap and "slope", He was able to play most if not every golf course in Oregon during his years on this team. It was both an honor and a pleasure he cherished.
After the youngest child moved out of the home, they moved to a new home in Summerfield, and Don's mother came to live with them almost the rest of her life, which lasted past her 100th birthday.
Don and Bonnie worked hard for everything they had, both loving parents and spouse to one another, they showed their children, family and friends love and appreciation for simple things in life. They held many get togethers (parties) for friends and families, picnics, camping, and fishing in Dad's boat. He spent more time untangling his kids fishing lines that getting his own line and pole in the water.
Husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, great grandfather, brother, uncle, coach, mentor, and friend, Don touched many lives. During his last years, with failing sight and hearing, his love of golf and poker with the boys was now a distant memory.
The family will be hosting a celebration of his life at Summerfield Golf Course on Sunday, April 9th, 2023. It will begin at 3pm and we will provide light refreshments, snacks and will be open to those of you who wish to tell or write a fond memory you have of Don.
The family has asked to forgo sending flowers but to possibly make a donation to the charity of their choice.
Surviving family members:
Wife; Bonita (Bonnie) Fearing, children; Donald L. Roberts, Michael J .Roberts (passed), John F. Roberts (passed), Mary J. (Roberts) Peterson, son-in-law Jerome Peterson, Mitchel P. Fearing, Steven M. Fearing.