Donald "Don" Timothy Kelly

Donald (Don) Timothy Kelly, 86, of Knappa, passed away at Columbia Memorial Hospital on May 24, surrounded by loved ones.

He is survived by his wife, Marina; their three children, John (Rusty), Ron and Kerri; eight grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and a large extended family and group of friends.

Don was born in Aumsville to Russell and Bernice Kelly on May 26, 1936. He graduated from Knappa High School in 1955, and soon after traveled to British Columbia to fall timber. Once he returned to the U.S., he married Marina Minkoff on May 30, 1958. Together, they raised their three children in Knappa.

Don split his time between the woods timber falling and on the water commercial fishing. He worked for Crown Zellerbach and Pete McCoy, among many others in the timber industry. He later started his own timber falling company.

Don was a commercial fisherman on the Columbia River on his gillnet boats, the Lollipop and the Cugan. In Alaska, Don fished on the Brutus and the Number 1. He and his crews enjoyed their comradery and the competition on the water.

When Don wasn’t in the woods or on the water, he was on the farm raising elk, cattle and longhorns. He also enjoyed hunting, fishing, clam digging and taking road trips to Eastern Oregon.

Later in life, Don spent his days throwing bones to the neighborhood dogs, feeding birds from John Day to Brownsmead, tracking down his daily paper and watching his cattle graze and raise their calves.

Don was quite a character. If you met him, you likely have a story to tell. He loved his life, and although he’s gone, our memories of him will live in our hearts forever.

There will be a celebration of Don’s life in the coming months. Details will follow.