Russell Eugene "Rusty" Donaldson

Svensen resident Russell Eugene Donaldson passed away April 10, 2018, at home, after a four-and-a-half year battle with colon cancer.

He was born Aug. 20, 1950, in Foley, Alabama. He was preceded in death by his parents, Barbara Callander Donaldson and John Eugene Donaldson. He was their youngest child, and only son. The Coast Guard family lived in Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, Astoria and the Philippine Islands before settling in Svensen, Oregon.

He was a 1968 graduate of Knappa High School, and longtime supporter of the Knappa Loggers. In high school, he was an enthusiastic athlete in all sports, and was voted Most Inspirational Player.

During the Vietnam era, he served his country as an aviation electronics technician in the Coast Guard. Upon honorable discharge, he returned home to marry his grade school sweetheart, Marsha Lynn Aho. Using the GI Bill, he attended Clatsop Community College, transferred to Lane Community College, and completed the respiratory therapy program.

In 1976, while living in the Willamette Valley, their son, Kurt, was born. Rusty worked at Good Samaritan hospitals in both Eugene and Corvallis, but the “call of home” was strong, so they moved back to the Knappa/Svensen area. Rusty served as an Astoria fireman for five years, and then worked at the Wauna Mill, retiring after 20 years. He always took pride in his work, and made sure the napkins he made were of the highest quality. Before retiring from the mill, he had become a journeyman oiler.

When granddaughter Miriam was born, he retired from the mill and became a stay-at-home grandfather. Never was there such a hands-on grandfather. As Miriam grew and started school, Rusty started a new “career” in retail at the Coast Guard Exchange, where he could interact with Coast Guard families because he, also, had grown up as a child of a Coastie.

For many years he enjoyed photography, and was able to combine his love of sports with photography, taking photos at Knappa High School games, team photos, and doing senior pictures. Some of his photos were used in The Daily Astorian. As a sideline, he also grew Christmas trees for many years.

He was very attached to numerous family dogs, having a special fondness for Trina, their Dalmatian for 13 years, then Huey, Archer, Daisy and Doc.

He leaves behind a loving wife of 47 years, Marsha Aho Donaldson; son, Kurt Donaldson and his fiancée, Willow Wagner, of Svensen; sister, Jennifer Mathre of Portland; sister, Martha McGinty and her husband, Dale, of San Diego, California; brother-in-law, Jack Aho and his wife, Joyce, of Svensen; granddaughter, Miriam Donaldson of Svensen; nieces, Paige McCord and family of Newport Beach, California, Shannon Lackey and family of Knappa, Stefanie Craft and family of Damascus, Oregon, and Merrill Penuel and family of Sandy, Oregon; very special “BuddyJoe” Sherry Rusinovich of Lewis and Clark; several grandnephews and nieces, who always had a good time with him; the current family canine, Doc Donaldson; and many relatives and friends near and far. Our lives were better for sharing laughs with him, and knowing this honorable man. He will be missed.

The family thanks oncologists Drs. Sahan Rosenbaum and Amrita Desai, and Kristy Haglund of Lower Columbia Hospice, and the oncology nurses and staff at Columbia Memorial Hospital.

A celebration of life will be held Sunday, April 29, from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at Knappa High School.

Memorial contributions may be sent to Lower Columbia Hospice, 2111 Exchange St., Astoria, OR 97103, or the Knappa Schools Foundation, 42915 Old Highway 30, Astoria, OR 97103.