Don Lee Deveraux

Don was born August 20, 1931, to Edna Ethel Winslow and James Marcus Deveraux in South Cottonwood, Salt Lake, UT during the Great Depression.  Was raised alongside his brothers, Keith, and Marcus and his four sisters, Delores, Patricia, Sharon, and Kay, in a farmhouse off of 9^th East in Murray, Utah.  At age 8 years old he was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  He attended public school, came home, and worked hard alongside his father.  Ended up dropping out of school in about the eighth grade to go to work and help his family.

He joined the Air Force Air National Guard at age 19, on April 1, 1951, during the Korean War and became an Air Force Airman 2^nd Class.  He was a Mechanic working on the B-52 Bomber and other planes.  He was 20 years old when he married his sweetheart, Jeanette Marie Sears and her cute, little, blonde haired, two-year-old boy, Raymond James, who was born on September 15, 1949, almost six months after joining the Air Force, on September 25, 1951, in the North Broadway Methodist Church in Seattle, WA.  He eventually adopted Raymond to become his own.  On September 11, 1952, he was honorably discharged from the Air Force Air National Guard, just 12 days before their first daughter, cute, little blonde haired, Edna Lamar, was born on September 23, 1952.  Sometime during that next year Jeanette contracted the German Measles while she was pregnant with their third baby.  One year and three months after having their first baby girl, Jeanette found herself back in the hospital on Christmas Day giving birth to their second daughter, and last baby, cute, little brunette haired, Jeanette Lorraine, born on December 25, 1953, whom due to the affect of the German Measles was born with hearing loss in both ears.  During the year of 1958 they had a house built right next door to Jeanette’s parents and moved to there from Beacon Hill in Seattle, WA to the East Hill of Kent, WA and this is where they have lived to date for the past 63 years.  Their son, Ray, passed away at the age of 54, on November 12, 2003.  Don and Jeanette were married 70 years, just shy two months before he left us.  And he would have had his 90^th birthday just next month.

Don is survived by his wife, Jeanette.  Three sisters, Patricia Lloyd, Sharon Rugg and Kay Dyson.  His two daughters, Edna Buchanan and Jeanette Jones (Bryant).  Grandchildren: Oliver Spencer, Crystal Bolt (Christopher), Sharon Jones (Joe), Mariah Jones (Michael), Dustin Miller, Joshua Jones (Victoria), Carrie Buchanan (James), Cherisse Papenfuss (Ian), Elizabeth Johnston (Robert), Finley Buchanan and 15 great grandchildren.

Don was a devoted, loving husband and a wonderful, dedicated father, grandfather and great grandfather.  He lived a life full of adventure and fun.  One of his favorite things to do was to play with his children and grandchildren, whether it was board games, cards or roughhousing with them indoors or outside.  He treasured all of his children, grands and great grands, and he made sure you knew it, by grabbing you up and hugging you, having you sit on his lap and telling you often that he loves you.  He loved all children and treated every child as if they were his own, family, friend, or stranger, didn’t matter.  You had a smile on your face and a twinkle in your eye when he was with you.

He was a straight-forward type person, you never had to guess what he meant when he would be talking to you.  And he always had a story to tell, most likely embellished a bit, nonetheless so fun to listen to!  He was tough, hardworking, and always full of sarcasm and witty comments.  Never hesitated to tease you either.  His father had his own fun gibberish language he used on occasion and Don followed suit with his own fun language he called “Dog Latin.”  He would use it when he didn’t want people nearby to know what he was saying.  A fun-loving, honorable, trustworthy, generous soul he was.  He would give you “the shirt off his back,” he was that kind of man.  A man of great integrity.  He was a dear friend to everyone, always helping someone, whether family or friends.  Even if you had car troubles, whether you broke down somewhere close-by or far away he would go rescue you or if you just needed your car looked at because it wasn’t running quite right, he was right there to help you repair it.  He left a wonderful legacy behind for all of us to follow in. 

This fun-loving man was a jack of all trades.  He could fix anything and did!  Though he excelled with the mechanics of cars and being able to identify year, make, and model while driving past them on the road.  He was known to be a FORD man no question about it!  He loved to travel with his sweetheart and kids.  He was an artist with cartoon characters too.  He liked fishing and hunting.  And I believe he learned to ski while living in Utah.  He worked as a Mechanic for the Boeing Company and after that he became a Truck Driver for Safeway and for P. D. & J. Meats making deliveries and catching his youngest skipping school while making his delivery rounds! ha-ha Most of all he loved playing with his children and grandchildren and gathering with family and friends.  He liked reading the comics and Louis L’Amour books, listening to country western music, dancing, joking around and teasing, watching classic western tv, cartoons and movies of all sorts, playing cards and other games.

There is so much more to Don than can be presented here.  To know him is a great pleasure.  That is the man we all know and love and cherish! í ½í²�

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