Remembering Don...

Tendon (Don) Wakeley was born on October 23, 1925 to Philip and Chris Wakeley in Bogalusa, Louisiana and was raised in New Orleans. From a very early age, he was fascinated by airplanes. He graduated from an all-boys high school and worked in a machine shop before enrolling at Iowa State College in Ames, Iowa in 1943. After receiving a draft notice, he served in the Army Corps of Engineers in England and France at the end of World War II. He returned to college on the GI bill and received his Aerospace Engineering degree in 1949. He stayed for another year and earned his Mechanical Engineering degree in 1950. While at Iowa State he met Norma Jean Holtan. Don was recalled to the army for the Korean War. Following his military service in Korea Don and Norma were married February 3, 1952 and shortly thereafter moved to Texas.

Ann, Susan, David, and Billy were born while the family lived in Arlington, Texas where Don worked for Chance Vought Aircraft. In 1960 the family moved to Bellevue, Washington when Don started working for The Boeing Company. Alan joined the family a few years later. Don's work for Boeing spanned more than 30 years, and included design work on several of the company's commercial aircraft and various equipment used in defense and space programs. He retired in January 1991.

For most of the 53 years the family lived in Bellevue, Don was a life member of the Issaquah Sportsmen's Club and enjoyed collecting guns, target shooting and hunting. In 2012 he was honored by the State of Washington for 50 years as a Hunter Education instructor. He enjoyed building and flying model airplanes and served as a Scout leader for his sons. In recent years, he and Norma enjoyed being part of the St. Andrews OWLs group. Don is remembered for his understated sense of humor.

Don and Norma moved to the Timber Ridge Retirement Community in Issaquah in 2013 where Don enjoyed the News and Views group among other activities. He and Norma celebrated their 66th anniversary there earlier this year.

Don was preceded in death by Norma this past May. He is survived by his brother Jim and sisters Jane and Mary, daughters Ann (Steve) King and Sue (Dick) Bowers, sons David (Debora), Bill (Judy) and Alan (Dawn) Wakeley, grandchildren Forrest King, Dan Bowers, Michael and Robert Wakeley, Selina Petschek, Alissa and Ethan Wakeley, one great-grandchild, Izzabella King, and numerous nieces and nephews. His sister, Pat, and a grandson, Philip King, preceded him in death.
A celebration of Don's life will be held November 17th, 1:00 pm at Timber Ridge at Talus, 100 Timber Ridge Way NW, Issaquah, WA 98027. In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to Puget Sound Honor Flight or the national Honor Flight Network.

http://pugetsoundhonorflight.org/get-involved/donate/