DONALD ROY GUSTAVSON

DONALD ROY GUSTAVSON November 24, 1920 - September 9, 2017 Donald Roy Gustavson, age 96, of Richland died September 9, 2017 of natural causes. He was born in Chicago, Illinois on November 24, 1920. A Richland resident since 1948, he worked at Hanford for 34 years in various management, engineering, and supervisory positions with General Electric, Atlantic Richfield, Isochem, and Rockwell. After retiring in 1982, he worked for a time as a consulting engineer to Westinghouse, Kaiser Engineers and Lockheed Martin. Don was born on November 24, 1920 in Chicago, IL, to Fred Perry Gustavson, Sr. and Phoebe (Williams) Gustavson. Much of his youth in Chicago occurred during the Great Depression, and what he witnessed shaped his conservative and successful economic method throughout his life. Don attended Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, where he was in the NROTC program, commonly referred to as "Annapolis on the Lake". At Northwestern, he met the love of his life, Mary Purton of Boise ID. They were married in Ridgewood, NJ, on September 11, 1942, before Don went overseas with the U.S. Navy in World War II. Don served in the Navy throughout WWII, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He had command of two different combatant ships, saw action in the Pacific and received eleven medals. He took part in the invasions of Leyte and Luzon (Lingayen Gulf) in the Philippines and Okinawa, Japan, as the Executive Officer of the USS PCER 852, a 183-foot escort ship with a crew of 122 including 12 officers. This ship had dual responsibilities as an escort and anti-submarine ship and as a rescue ship, conducting rescue, triage medical treatment, and transport to wounded servicemen during battle. Over a 10-month period, the ship treated more than 1300 casualties from all services. The ship's Captain was awarded the Navy Cross, the ship's Medical Officer a Bronze Star and the ship a Navy Unit Citation. In June 1944 prior to making way for the Pacific, Don's ship transported from Bermuda to Norfolk VA 26 German POW sailors from the famous capture of the German submarine U-505. At the end of the war, Don became the Commanding Officer of the PCER 852 and brought it back to the US from the Pacific Theater. The PCER 852 later was renamed the USS Brattleboro and served in three Navies; the US Navy, South Vietnamese Navy, and the Philippine Navy, where it is still in service. Don continued to serve in the Naval Reserve, rising to the rank of Captain, USNR. He was the Commanding Officer of Naval Reserve Units in Boise, Richland and Pasco. After the war, Don and Mary lived in Evanston IL before moving to Boise ID where Don would manage the construction of the Naval Reserve Armory at 131 Myrtle St. The young family, with a son and two daughters, moved to Richland WA in November 1948, which they would call home for the next 70 years. Two more sons and a daughter were born in Richland to complete their family. Don received a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from Northwestern University in 1946 and a Masters degree in Business Administration from the University of Washington in 1963. Above all, Don's devotion was to family. Trips were made to numerous national parks and national points of interest, as well as many camping trips. He ensured financial resources were available for all of his children to pursue higher education. In 1989 Don and his wife Mary went to Europe with more than 40 members of their immediate and extended family, visiting ancestral homes and sites. Don and Mary also went on additional trips to Europe and Hawaii. Don was well known and respected for his extremely high intelligence, his quick and humorous wit, and his inherent talents and interests in music and illustration art. He played music standards on piano by ear, and all his grandkids remember marching around the house to him playing "Anchors Away" and other marches. Don would tell fanciful imaginative stories, typically made up on the fly, to his wide-eyed attentive kids and grandkids. Don was always the guy to beat at games, whether it be bridge, scrabble, ping pong, croquet, or charades. Don was preceded in death by his parents, Fred Perry Gustavson, Sr. and Phoebe (Williams) Gustavson; his brother, Fred Perry Gustavson Jr.; his sister, Phoebe Jane McCarthy; and his son-in-law John T. Nebel. Donald was survived by his wife of 75 years, Mary Purton Gustavson of Richland, who recently passed away in January 2018. He is also survived by their six children: Fred Perry Gustavson III (Lynne), Hawaii; Martha Anne Gustavson, Spokane; Julie Ellen Nebel (John), Wenatchee; Jullian Donald Purton Gustavson, Switzerland; Robert David Gustavson (Donna), Richland; Mary Louise DeCesare (Mike), Spokane; and 13 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren, two great-great grandchildren, and 15 nieces and nephews. A combined memorial service for both Don and Mary will take place at Central United Protestant Church, Richland on Saturday July 28th, 2018 at 2:00 pm. Prior to the memorial service, a family-only graveside gathering will take place at Sunset Memorial Gardens, Richland. The family thanks Magdalena Adult Family Home and The Chaplaincy Hospice for comforting care and loving support to both Don and Mary. In lieu of flowers, a remembrance to Don may be sent to The Chaplaincy Hospice, 1480 Fowler St., Richland, WA 99352. For online condolences, to share memories, or to view photos, visit askhillcrest.com.