Donald R. Chinn

December 26, 1931 - August 28, 2009

Donald R. Chinn Obituary (Age 77) Donald passed away on Friday August 28, 2009. He was born on December 26, 1931, in Oregon City, OR. He graduated from Canby Union High School in 1950 and then joined the U.S. Navy. He married Marlene Rodgers on June 18, 1954 in Bremerton, WA. He attended the University of Oregon and then transferred to Portland State College and received his degree in 1962. He worked at Portland VA Hospital and then was transferred to the Spokane, WA VA Hospital in the early 1960's, he became the supervisor of the laboratory in Spokane. Don also joined the Air National Guard and retired from that in 1992. Don and his family loved to go camping, especially to the Oregon coast. Later, Don became an avid fly fisherman and learned to tie his own flies. He was a member of the Spokane Fly Club. In the early 1970's while still working as the supervisor of the lab at the VA Hospital, he opened a fly shop (Don's Fly Shop) in the basement of his home and taught fly tying classes. In 1989 Don retired from the VA Hospital. His dream after retirement was to travel the US with Marlene in their motor home, but that dream was cut short a few years later when Marlene was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. He became an Alzheimer's advocate and was very committed to caring for his wife until she passed away on July 21, 2007. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church and a member of the Eagles Lodge #2 in Spokane. He is survived by his sister Anna Marsh, West Linn, OR, his children David Chinn and wife Vonnie and their children Tiffany, Veronica, and Amelia, Sandpoint, ID; Robert Chinn, Spokane, WA; Katherine Bailey and husband Donald and their children Amber Thain, Nicholas, and Matthew, Spokane, WA; Rodger Chinn and his wife Vicki, Spokane, WA; Michael Chinn and his wife Zsa Zsa and their children Cassandra and Jessica, Nine Mile Falls, WA. He is preceded in death by his wife Marlene Chinn, his sister Dorothy Chapman, and his brother Leonard Chinn. A memorial service will be held Wednesday, September 9, 2009 at 2:00PM at the Eagles lodge at 6410 N. Lidgerwood.