Donald (Don-Donnie) Wayne Whittington Sr, also known as Joseph E Whittington on Facebook.

On Saturday, December 30, 2024, Don passed away comforted by his wife Christine and other family members at Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane Washington, following a short illness. Don was 76 years old.

On Saturday, October 23, 1948 in Ft. Smith, Arkansas, baby boy Don was born at St Joseph’s Hospital to Raymond Ray and Anna Lois (Tolbert) Whittington. He was the couple’s only son and fifth child of seven.

By the time Don was nine years of age he made his home in several states including Paris Arkansas; Radcliffe, Iowa; Amarillo, Texas; Bakersfield, California and finally, to Washington State in 1957 where he and his family settled in the small town of Tonasket, Washington just south of the Canadian border.

One of Don’s souvenirs from living in Texas is a very small version of the old-time “cotton picking bag,” which his mother Lois cut down and made from a regular-sized bag. I don’t know how much cotton he picked but he did manage to get a few bowls into the bag by the end of the day, along with a lot of play time while the family worked in the fields.

October 1,1966 was a special day for Don, as he married his sweet young bride Christine Marie Dellinger/Buck at The Wedding Chapel in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, which means “City with a Heart!” The couple put down roots in Tonasket and raised two sons, Donald Jr and Joseph and grandson, Seth Whittington.

After the Landreth Mill closed in Tonasket, where they had worked for several years, (and Don acquired his lumber grading skills), Don and “Buff” Pitt alternated driving back and forth from Tonasket to Riverside, Washington where they were both employed at the Colville Indian Lumber Co. Don also worked at brief intervals at Omak Wood Products in Omak, Washington, teaching how to grade lumber as this was his profession for close to 40 years before retiring to a quieter life.

Don and Christine spent many hours on the mountain with their sons and grandson. The last few years of his life he enjoyed going for walks with his two big fur babies in the early hours of the morning while the cool air was at its freshest.

Genealogy was another field of interest Don had and spent countless hours discussing family connections with his niece LaVonna Gattman. He would stop by her house on the way home after visiting with his boys. They had good times questioning each other’s data from time to time.

Don was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Lois Whittington, as above; eldest sister, DeLois Darlene Krupkat/Rohleder; baby sister, Connie Mae Whittington and daughter-in-law, Cheri Whittington.

Don is survived by his wife, Christine Whittington, wife of 58 years; sons, Donald Jr, Joseph and grandson, Seth Whittington all of Tonasket; sister, Nancy (Gary) Moore, Boise Idaho; sister, Rayetta (Jack) Caddy Tonasket; sister, Nora Faye Mattocks (Wayne), Kennewick, Washington; sister, Tina (David) Fazio, Silverton, Oregon; grandson, Joseph J Whittington, Ruth, Nevada; granddaughters, Melisa Ortuno of Omak, Dawn Fleck of Spokane, Washington and nine great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

No immediate plans available for a service and any donations may be made to the family for medical services.