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74 Marshall Street
North Adams, Massachusetts
Donald Jillson Obituary
He was born in North Adams on July 31, 1925, a son of John Jillson and Edna (Latimer) Jillson. He was educated in city schools, including Drury High School.
He was employed in farming until the outbreak of World War II and he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on July 26, 1943. He served as a corporal specializing in amphibious tractor operation in the South Pacific Theater of Operations from October 1944 to March 1946. He served in Guadalcanal and Okinawa from April to July 1945.
Following his honorable discharge on April 6, 1946, he returned to North Adams and was employed for a short time with the former Gale Shoe Co. on Brown Street, until he joined the former Harry Smith Ford Agency in North Adams. Before his retirement in 1987, he was last employed with Scarafoni Ford of North Adams with 40 years of automotive service.
He was a member of 4H in his youth and while raising his family, he was a member of the Greylock Parent Teachers Association and volunteered his services in the preparation of the group’s floats in the annual Fall Foliage parades. He was a former member of the Frank R. Stiles Post #125 American Legion, North Adams.
He leaves his wife of 53 years, the former Phyllis Ellen Edwards, whom he married on March 4, 1950, in St. John’s Episcopal Church, North Adams; three daughters, Kathy E. Serre of Adams, Donna L. Humphries of Wakefield, R.I., and Anita L. Pratt of Readsboro, Vt.; six grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews, including Patsy Chalifoux of Katy, Texas, and Joanne Goddard of Costa Mesa, Calif., whom he raised; and grandnieces and grandnephews.
He was predeceased by two brothers, Richard John Jillson and Edward Jillson.
FUNERAL NOTICE -- Funeral services for Donald W. Jillson will take place Thursday, 9 a.m., at the Flynn & Dagnoli-Montagna Home for Funerals, Central Chapels, 74 Marshall St., North Adams, with the Rev. Edward King, rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church, North Adams, officiating. Burial will follow in Southview Cemetery, North Adams. Calling hours at the funeral home are Wednesday, Jan. 7, 4-8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Berkshire Humane Society through the funeral home.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Donald Jillson
Veronica Trumble
January 14, 2004
I only had the privalage of knowing Grampa for a short time, but i did get to spend a few Christmas's with him. The Christmas tree was always huge and sparkling, and it always had envelopes with IOU's on it! Presents would spread from under the tree through the whole living room, and Granpa was always in the middle, just as excited as a kid! My favorite memory is when i was thirteen and i was staying with Gram,Grampa, Shannon and Jim. I had went to one of my friends house for a while and when i got back he told me to go look in the toy room, he has a surpise for me. Todd, my nephew, had a doodle bug ( a toy car that you could ride around in). He also had two life size monkeys. Inside the car were the monkeys dressed in clothes! The toy room was dark and i thought there was someone standing there! It scared me to death, and granpa thought it was funny! I still think of that. Don was a great man who enjoyed life to the fullest. He could convince anyone to do what he wanted, even if it was just going to dinner and everyone was busy. Don was a fighter, who never gave up on anything that he started, and could do anything that he set his mind to. He will be missed dearley by everyone, especialy me.
Shannon Trumble
January 14, 2004
Some of my earliest memories of my grandfather are when me and my brother would spend the night at his house. We would get to stay up real late and watch tv till we fell asleep on the living room floor. In the morning we would get up before gram and grampa would cook us pancakes, he would make us letters (A-Z) Us kids would always make pigs out of ourselves trying to get to the furthest letter. I also remember we would go out and tend to the gardens. Grampa would always wear one of those fishing hats and sit there and show me which ones where weeds and which ones where vegetables. This year I tried teaching my son how to weed In the same old garden that grampa taught me in and I have no clue how grampa ever had the patience to do It. When we were done weeding we would get to ride around on the old lawn tractor picking up the weeds and that was worth all the weeding I did!! Once In a while I would even get to drive!!! We also got to ride on the tractor with him when he mowed the lawns. Sometimes us kids got to help grampa carry in the wood and some how he made It fun! Grampa had a walnut tree that we would collect the walnuts from and get to put them in the old vise and crack them open. All of us grandkids always knew that if we helped grampa out then there would always be a treat in store for us. He always had berry patches and we spent a lot of time picking berries so we could help make jellies and jams. As we picked we ate and gram never said a word when we were gone for an hour and only brought a couple baskets in with us granpa would say shhh dont tell her we ate some. Grampa loved candy and anything with sugar in it so we always knew to follow him around and we would be able to get some. Grampa is the only person I know that would want an ice cream sandwhich and actually take two peices of bread and put ice cream in the middle. That and he would go out for supper and order waffles or pancakes those I would say were his favorite foods. Grampa always let us play in the basement with him and work with wood. Grampa made us sock hangers, book shelves, cradles, and squirrel baffles. If you needed it grampa had it you could call him up and ask him for something like a 1960 Ford windshield or hubcap and grampa would amazingly go down stairs and get it. If grampa didn't have something he would try to make it for you. He never cared when we showed up with our friends and used the pool. We would splash and yell (well he would tell us to keep It down) and he never cared. We use to go to craftfairs in the camper and we got to ride over the cab and watch all the cars go by. He didn't even care when you would temporarly move in and not leave for years and then when you did leave, move back In, less than a year later. I spent a lot of my adult life living with my grandparents, so I know how special I am to have had my grandfather In my life, and to have the memories I do. These last couple of years my grandfather was still just as caring as always. I would try to mow the lawn and he would still see me as a little kid and yell at me to only put it in second gear and how to be careful. My husband and I took over a lot of grampas chores in the past couple of years, but grampa still Insisted on watching us or being right there along side of us so that he made sure we did it his way which was the right way. We would have two feet of snow and I would be snowblowing and he would open the door and yell out Instructions to me on how to do It. Grampa liked everyone and never complained about anything. He was always glad to get company even if it was my company. He would always make my friends feel at home, and sit down and visit with them, and he would invite them back to visit with him. Before my friends would leave grampa would have them carrying him up some wood to start a fire In the old fireplace him and gram built. I am not sure how he did It but all my friends were more than glad to carry wood, clean the pool, weed the hedges, fix the stairs, rake the lawn, or any other thing grampa could think of that me and gram wouldn't let him do! Up to grampas last minutes he was getting me to vaccum and not just a quick sweep he made me go back and do a good job. We were sneaking cookies and donuts just hours before he passed and he still said sshhh dont tell gram!!! Grampa taught me a lot of what I know now about how to be a good person and to help others and to try not to complain no matter what.
Tim Holt
January 12, 2004
"Donny" Jilson was a part of my childhood in North Adams. We lived on the corner next to Don, Phyllis and kids. I always remember my Dad "Jesse" and Mom "Isabelle" and Donny & Phyllis and the great family get togethers on the porch at our place in the summer evenings. Donny & Dad would always have a gardening competition to see who could grow the best cucumbers, sweet corn, etc. I remember "Champ" the nightmare pony that neither Dad or Donny could tame when it was time to put "shoes" on him. (Champ thrwe both of them out of our shed...!)
I always missed North Adams when we moved and the memories have been a special part of my life.
We lost both my mom and dad in 1994 and my heart goes out to Phyllis and you kids who pal'ed around with my sister "Bitsy". He was a great man...God Bless!
Tim Holt Sr.
Isabelle (Bitsy) Terk
January 12, 2004
Donnie was a wonderful guy. He & my Dad made homemade rootbeer & shoed the horses together. He was a kind, gentle spirit, a good father and the best neighbor ever.
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pat waggoner
January 12, 2004
i only meant grandpa a few times but he seemed like a very nice man. very funny.
Donna Humphries
January 11, 2004
My father was the greatest dad. I remember growing up and going out to the shed collecting the eggs from the chickens, bringing them in for breaksfast or to bake with. The shed became a barn for Rex(the horse) and Champ(the pony). Rex and I never saw eye to eye. I would ride Rex over to the airport but only one of us would return home. Rex wanted to graze on the nice green grass and I could not get him to budge. Dad would have to go get him. My dad would hook Rex up to the sleigh as soon as the roads were covered with snow. Then he would take us for a sled ride around the roads. My father knew just the right speed to go so I could get up on one ski, starting from shore without getting wet. Dad taught all of us how to drive. One night my sister and I, and a couple of friends went to the bowling alley in Pittsfield. We came out of the bowling alley late and notice we had a flat tire on our 54 Ford. None of us knew how to change a flat so we had to call my father. The very next day dad show us how to change a flat tire. I remember the phone ringing just after we would sit down to have dinner. Someone would need a jump start or there car would be broken down, and he would go help them. When I moved to Rhode Island, I realized how much it meant to have my dad as a mechanic. I never had to make an appointment to have my car worked on, and I never had to pay for the work. Dad was always there for us. I will miss my father alot, but he will always be in my memories. Donna Humphries
Patsy Chalifoux
January 7, 2004
I am very fortunate to have grown up in a loving home with Uncle Don and Aunt Phyllis as my "parents". Uncle Don was a great teacher with an unbelievable patience. I contribute my love of the outdoors to him. As a young girl I remember working in the garden with him (unfortunately I don't have his green thumb). One of my favorite gardening moments was digging up the potatoes and seeing the different shapes and sizes and imaging what animal or object a specific shape resembled. We had various animals and he was as gentle with them as he was with us. He even taught me a few things about repairing a car.
In the winter he would flood the backyard and make a skating rink for us and our friends. In the summer we would all go to the lake and to water ski and sometimes campout on one of the islands. I have so many wonderful memories of Uncle Don.
Whenever we visit Uncle Don and Aunt Phyllis it is as if we never left North Adams. He always had such great affection for my family.
I am truly blessed to have had Uncle Don as a "parent", mentor and friend. He may be away from us physically now but he will be a part of us forever.
Susan Chalifoux
January 7, 2004
I knew no other man than Uncle Donnie to be my grandfather. He may be my great uncle but I consider him to be my grandfather in every sense of the word. Since my paternal grandparents were deceased, Uncle Donnie treated me just like any of the other grandchildren.
I can still remember being a little girl and climbing up into his lap when he was in his easy chair. He would let me sit with him as he tried to relax after a long day at work or in the yard/garden. Whenever I pass by a pipe shop the smell of the tobacco can take me back 20+ years and remind me of him with a lit pipe in his hand and chatting with us while he relaxed in his easy chair.
I can also remember the weekends when my family would visit. He would let me tend to garden with him and pick green beans from it. I can remember him constantly working on something in the cellar whether it be a piece of lawn equipment or helping Aunt Phyllis with her jewelry making.
Even though he is gone now I can only think of him as the tall strong man who I knew as Uncle Donnie and the man who I considered to be the best grandfather I would ever have the great pleasure to know in my life.
Sharon Serre
January 6, 2004
My memories of Grandpa as a young child were how much he loved working on things. I would visit him at Scarafoni’s Ford and watch him fix the cars. I’d watch him build wonderful things in his workroom while I cracked butternuts with his vice. He’d let me ride on and steer the tractor while he tended to the garden. I’d help him carry wood into the fireplace, and help roll newspaper logs to burn. He’d set the grinder just right so I could take turns to help make popcorn balls. And at the end of the day, I’d give him pretend haircuts while he relaxed in his recliner.
My memories of Grandpa as a teenager were how much he loved his home. He did all of the grilling for our many cookouts for birthdays, holidays, or any sunny day. He would beat us into the pool on warm or cold days. He helped me shuck the corn we just picked from the garden. He would pick out the perfect rhubarb stalk to snack on or make pies from. He would paint, repair, solder, nail, brace, or rebuild anything and everything that needed fixing around the house. He would fall asleep content in his recliner after a long day.
My memories of Grandpa as an adult were how much he loved his family. He would fondly call Grandma “Toots” all the time. He smiled all through the 50th wedding anniversary party we held for him. He would play with Todd or Cassandra like he played with me, Shannon, Jeff, Mikey, Jake, and Katie as kids. He and Grandma made the trip down to Florida for my wedding, and stayed to enjoy the entire reception, especially the fortune cookies. He hugged me when he was leaving and kissed me on the cheek. He would enjoy the family on Christmas day among the piles of presents in his recliner.
My memories of Grandpa were how he loved to work on things, how he loved his home, and how he loved his family. And I know each of you here has those same fond memories, and many more.
Gloria (Tovani) Hahn
January 6, 2004
Donna,Kathy, Anita,& family,
in growing up next door to you,i remember your dad very well...he was a very nice man...full of laughter and suprises for us kids..he liked everyone...he gave me much enjoyment in my childhood..so sorry to hear of his passing...please remember that our loved ones dont make our life,its the memories they gave to us that does..and dealth cant take that away..they stay with us forever,,...GOD BLESS...
Sincerly,
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