Donald Sedgley

Donald Sedgley Donald Bruce Sedgley, 84, died February 15, 2015 at his residence in Morro Bay. As per his wishes, there will be no service, and a private burial will take place at the Cayucos-Morro Bay Cemetery, where he will be laid to rest next to his wife Janis who predeceased him in 1995. Don was born in February, 1931 in Los Angeles to Arlos and Ada Sedgley; his sister Rowena was born exactly the same day but four years earlier. He attended the University of Southern California at age17, married 14 year old Janis Rae Clawson at 19, spent a year of active duty on the U.S.S. Toledo during the Korean War when he was 21, and finished three years at UCLA in 1955 with an Engineering degree. His first job was at the Turbo Research Corporation as an Aerothermodynamicist, which allowed him and Jan to purchase their first home in Reseda. In 1957, their only child Cynthia Rae was born. He loved "his two girls" and spent his life making sure they were happy and secure, nothing was more important to him than family. That same year, he went to work at Precisioneers, who did contract work for the Naval Ordinance Test Station in Inyokern (coincidentally, his father had been the architect/engineer in charge of construction of that facility). Better opportunities began opening up in the field of nuclear power development, and in 1958 he went to work for Atomics International as a Systems Analyst. After seven years and diminishing prospects, he was hired as a Senior Staff Engineer at General Atomics, a division of General Dynamics Corporation, where he worked until 1971. Wanting a better life outside of Southern California, Don, Jan, and Cindy moved to Morro Bay, which they had fallen in love with on previous visits. Even Nuclear Engineers have to earn a living, so what do you do? Open an outboard motor repair shop - he was owner of The Outboard Service Center for 13 years. Times were sometimes tough during that period due to fuel crunches, so he did a brief stint at Diablo Canyon during its construction in the early 1980's when they were hiring Quality Assurance inspectors. The resident engineer for Kellogg, the piping contractor, was leaving, and Kellogg's contract with PG&E required that a licensed Professional Engineer be on site. Don had maintained his license and was hired. The money certainly helped but it proved too difficult to also oversee his outboard business, so he worked at Diablo only one year. Shortly thereafter, with the physical labor starting to take a toll on him, he sold his business and began a new career as an Air Quality Specialist II with the San Luis County Air Pollution Control District in 1986. Sadly in 1995, Jan was diagnosed with cancer, and Don retired at 65 to stay home and take care of her during the final months of her life; she died soon after their 45th wedding anniversary. During that same year, he was blessed with love a second time when he met Josephine Pearsall, who also had lost a spouse to cancer. Don and Jo spent the next ten years enjoying life and each other, traveling throughout the world. In 2005, life dealt them a blow when Jo was diagnosed with cancer and died that same year. Don packed as much as he could into 84 years, best conveyed in his favorite poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay: "My candle burns at both ends; it will not last the night; But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends - It gives a lovely light!" He is survived by his daughter, Cynthia Mazzacane and her husband, William of Morro Bay; sister, Rowena Yertson of The Dalles, Ore.; and nieces: Nancy Spaan, Carol Bodine, Karin Harmel, and Kathy Erlenbush, all of Oregon. He is preceded in death by wives, Jan and Jo. A heartfelt "thank you" to the wonderful people who befriended him and brightened his life during those final years when he lived alone; you know who you are, and it was SO appreciated. To Central Coast Hospice, your staff is amazing and he could not have been in more caring hands during his last days - bless all of you. And finally, I love you Daddy, you were truly the most wonderful father, husband and best friend! Sign his guestbook at sanluisobispo.com/obituaries