Donald Douglas Beehn

BATTLE GROUND, Wash. - Donald Douglas Beehn passed away July 13, 2015, at the age of 88. Donald was born on April 3, 1927, in Flint, Mich., to Opal Scott and Harry Beehn.

After his mother, Opal Scott, passed away when he was 7 months old, Don was raised by his grandmother and aunts until his father, Harry Beehn, remarried when Don was 8. The family moved to Bend, Ore., and then to Portland, Ore., where he graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School in 1946.

After graduation, Don served in the Navy for two years. After discharge from the Navy, Don returned to Portland, where he began working for Farmers Insurance in 1948. Farmers Insurance was the first and only company Don worked for. After holding various management positions in Oregon, Washington and California, Don retired in 1991 after 43 years.

It was at Farmers Insurance where Don met his bride Carolyn Joy Wedge. Don and Carolyn were married for 55 years and are the proud parents of Kevin Douglas (Monica Beehn) and Kimberly Ann (David Cummins). They are blessed with six amazing grandchildren, Savannah Joy, Katherine Sophia, Tyler Douglas, Abigail Lydia, London Skye and Liberty Belle. Don was blessed to have a wonderful loving family, as well as good friends across the country.

After retirement, Don and Carolyn moved back to Don's hometown, Bend. The two snowbirds traveled between Bend and Yuma, Ariz., for several years. They continued the snowbird adventure when they moved to Billings in 2006. Don and Carolyn had moved to Battle Ground to live with their daughter Kim just three weeks prior to his death.

Don loved warm weather and one of his favorite adventures was fishing in La Paz, Mexico, with his son Kevin and son-in-law David. The three made this trip several times and entertained friends with fish stories for years. Don was a lifetime member of the Elks Club, most recently in Billings. He was also a member of the Royal Order of the Moose in Yuma.

The family would like to extend a special thanks to the wonderful nurses at the Billings Clinic Heart Failure Unit. They took great care of Don and formed some great friendships.

Memorial Services will be July 20 at 3 p.m., at Evergreen Memorial Gardens in Vancouver. Interment will be at Willamette National Cemetery at a later date. A celebration of life will be held later this fall in Yuma with all their dear friends.

Donations or gifts can be made in his honor to Heart Failure Fund, C/O Billings Clinic Foundation, P.O. Box 31031, Billings, MT 59107, or at www.billingsclinic.com/foundation/ways-of-giving/make-a-gift-online.