Donald Dean Wilson

Donald Dean Wilson passed away in Spokane, Washington on November 27, 2025 at the age of 92.  He was born in Oacoma, South Dakota to Whitney and Norma Washburn Bice on August 3, 1933.   The family moved to Washington State when he was 4.  In 1945, he moved with his older sister, Joyce and parents, Norma and Forrest Wilson to Brewster and went on to graduate from Brewster High School in 1951.

On September 7, 1952, Don married Irma Fillmore and their first child, Sherry Ann, was born in 1953.  The family moved to Metaline Falls in 1955 when Don went to work for Pend Oreille Mines as an accountant.   Two boys followed, Randall Glenn in January of 1957 and Carl Dean in July of 1959.   Don’s time in Metaline Falls was filled with both family activities and community involvement.  He and Irma were helped in their church and participated with an active square-dancing community while Don helped with the local Boy Scouts.   Summers were filled with weekend camping trips to Sullivan Lake and vacations to Glacier National Park and Yellowstone as well as neighboring Canadian campgrounds.   Winters were filled with ski days and weekend sledding parties.  In 1966 the family moved to Spokane where Don took over as the Secretary-Treasurer of Pend Oreille Mines.   In 1975, Don and Irma made the decision to move to Fairbanks, Alaska where he worked for Morrison-Knudsen on the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline.   They remained there until Don was transferred to Hawaii in 1977.    In 1978, they left Hawaii and after some traveling, relocated back to Spokane, where Don established himself in the insurance business, first with Farmers Insurance and finishing up with The Wilson Insurance Agency.  During their time back in Spokane, they reconnected with many old friends and did quite a bit of local traveling.  There were golf trips and ski trips with friends and as the grandchildren came along, bike rides and trips to Riverfront Park.  Don was very active with the Union Gospel Mission organization and they both participated in the Meals on Wheels organization and their church.  In 1997 they had planned an extended golf trip to the east coast which went through Nashville.  Unfortunately, they were involved in a tragic accident on their second day in Nashville, which resulted in lengthy hospital stays for them both.  As a result of that accident and the lengthy lawsuit that followed, a new law was passed in Tennessee protecting victims of injuries caused by the negligence by a quasi-governmental business.  Don and Irma returned to Spokane with Irma still requiring medical care for another two years.   Don subsequently retired from the insurance business at that time, turning over the operation of the Wilson Insurance Agency to his son Randy.  In 1999, they resumed some travel with children and grandchildren, keeping closer to home.   However, the trauma of the accident and Irma’s reluctance to travel very far from home, took its toll on their marriage and they were divorced in 2004.  Don subsequently married Liz Daggy in 2006.  Don and Liz continued to travel until debilitating health forced a move to assisted living.

Don is survived by his children, Sherry Carter Klaus and husband Jim, Randy Wilson and Carl Wilson, along with grandchildren, Chelsea Carter, Jared Carter, Brandon Wilson and Eric Wilson and five great grandchildren, Landon Spencer, Camilla Schultz, Lainey Carter, and Alexandra and Ella Wilson along with his wife Liz Wilson.