Donald Duane Dannar was born in McFall, Missouri to Ely and Emma Dannar on December 1, 1928.   This small Missouri town, with its surrounding farms, schools and hills would be where Don played, grew up and experienced the fullness of life during a time when hard work, ingenuity to solve problems on your own and always looking out for your neighbor were the threads that wove a community together.

Don met his wife Mary Bonita Ferguson in Guymon, OK, through her brother who worked with Don in construction.  Don and Mary were married in Guymon, OK on August 5, 1951.    A few months later, the couple traveled to Kansas City, MO for Don to join the Marines, where he was then posted to service at Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base in California.   The couple returned to the Midwest after his tour of duty to raise their growing family and serve their community.

Don never met a stranger.   Don could always find a way to put anyone at ease, recognize their goodness, their strengths and find words of encouragement in their times of disappointment or sorrow.    He always had a joke or a story that he could relate to their life and circumstances, which lead to many friendships that eventually would be spread across the United States.   After Don and Mary retired, they spent a year traveling from coast-to-coast, border-to-border in a camper to see so many of those friends again.   As they traveled for that year, the next destination city was always about who they would visit and spend time with next.

Don's career centered in sales for Dun & Bradstreet, ultimately taking in him to a position on New York staff as the Director of Sales Training, the Western Region, which was 14 states west of the Mississippi.  As a second career, he was a housing developer, carefully transforming over 400 acres of Kansas farmland into a beautiful housing development.  An exciting endeavor of the project was drilling for water that would create an 11-acre lake.  This was to make sure that the quails, who the development was named after, had a new home as well.   Quail Creek Estates remains a highly sought-after community with the highest quality of homes for many families in Newton, Kansas.

All the while Don's passion was for his family and his church.    He served on church boards and numerous types of leadership roles the vast majority of his life, bringing his humor and wisdom to congregations in Kansas, California and Arizona.  Whether on the job, at church or in the community, Don's ability to quickly build deep relationships of trust was an attribute that drew so many people close to him.   They then wanted to remain close over the years and miles because of his contagious ability to enjoy life to its fullest with laughter, with road trips, camping trip and nature adventures.   He explored the skies as a private pilot.  Because of his adventuresome spirit, he was always ready to learn and participate in the interests of his children, and then record them as an avid photographer.

One of Don's favorite places in life was around a campfire, surrounded by friends and family.   Traveling to visit park after park, Don's Missouri roots and love of nature were evident to all who were fortunate to be involved in the many, many vacations and camping expeditions.   In packing up, the instructions at every campsite was to "leave it cleaner and better than we found it".

Don's wife, Mary, and their children, Gary, Donna Marie and Marty, were the highest delight of his life.    Always quick to express this to others, yet the most significant demonstrations of his love were extremely private and personal.   Don's life cannot be measured in certificates, diplomas, titles or sales awards.   It can be measured by his relationships and the impact that so many are quick to share he made on their life.   A strong man of faith, he has gone on before us.  He is now rejoicing, leaving this world, so much better than he found it.

Private Services to be held January 25, 2019.    In lieu of flowers, the family suggests supporting our parks by planting trees through www.alivingtribute.org c/o Donna Marie Bertrand, 4500 Harbour Pointe Blvd, #326, Mukilteo, WA  98275