Donald Lewis McLean
Donald Lewis McLean was born in South Byron, WI. on April 29, 1920, and died at 93 on February 8, 2014 of congestive heart failure in Mt. Vernon, WA.
He is survived by his daughters: Constance McLean of Seattle, Susan Hopkins of Ocala, FL, and Tracy Paz of Templeton, CA. Grandchildren: Aaron Anderson of Seattle, April Wimble of Richland, WA, and Kory Liedtke of Vancouver, WA. Great-grandchild: Cashton Liedtke of Vancouver, WA.
Don was preceded in death by his wife of 49 years, Myrtle McLean, and his wife of 13 years, Bereth Estep Mclean, his parents, Walter & Louise McLean, his brother Ken McLean and his sister Arlene Kurrasch. His granddaughter Kami Jo Walk passed just 19 days before him.
He met & married Myrtle Norum while playing violin with a dance band in Bismarck, ND in 1940. He served his country in The United States Navy from 1944 – 1946 and again in 1951. He worked in Bismarck for KFYR radio & TV station as program manager, and as musician in “the Farm Front” and “Keyboard Kapers” radio and TV programs. After moving to Longmont, CO in 1958, he worked for the Times Call newspaper and managed the Imperial Hotel, Restaurant, and Chessman Lounge. Moving to Kent, WA in 1962, he remained in advertising with the Fournier Newspaper group (Kent Valley Daily News and what is now the Renton Reporter) until his retirement in 1985. He moved to Orcas Island with Bereth in 1996.
He was an accomplished musician, although he always had a day job. Playing piano or the violin, he was a member of the Bismarck Symphony, Dean Bushnell Dance Band, Bellevue Symphony, The Elks Men, Orcas Island Community Band, Orcas Island Jazz Quartet and the Symphonia. He was a Member of the Seattle Musicians Union Local 76 and President of the Renton Musicians Union Local 360 for 20 years.
He spent his last years in Eastsound on Orcas Island, and was interred in the columbarium at Emmanuel Episcopal Church on February 13, 2014. There will be a memorial service at the Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Eastsound on Orcas Island, on April 25, 2014 at 5:30 PM. There will be a musical tribute to honor him; a loving, kind and humorous man throughout his life.
