Donald Jay Vail

Donald Vail, 73, passed away on April 6, 2024, surrounded by his family. He is survived by his son, Patrick Vail; his daughter-in-law, Ashley Vail; his grandchildren, Maggie Vail and Nate Vail; Joyce (Jan) Vail; and his siblings, Jim (Iris) Vail, Bill (Dana) Vail and Vali (Mark) Groening; nieces Heidi Vail, Jerrah Vail and Lacye Groening, and nephew Samuel Groening, along with the many members of the extended Vail and Parks families, all of whom he loved dearly. He was preceded in death by his beloved parents, Jim and Pat Vail, and niece Tricia Vail.

Don was born in Port Angeles, Washington on July 1, 1950. He spent boyhood summers outside getting into all kinds of low-stakes mischief with his brothers, cousins and uncles. He graduated in 1968 from Edmonds High School, where he developed a lifelong love of basketball and was, unsurprisingly, a class cutup. He worked at the Boys and Girls Club, as a wooden boatwright and at Boeing.

Don had an irrepressible wit. The perfect wrinkles at the corners of his eyes betrayed his next great joke just before it arrived. His beloved Aunt Thelma called him her "Angel Face," a childhood nickname he stuck with well into adulthood. Don loved his family and friends deeply and unreservedly. He always found the good in people. He was a mentor and friend to all. From coaching little league to his work in AA, Don always gave himself first to the service of others. Don proudly celebrated nine years of sobriety this year.

He loved Bill Russell, Mary Oliver and John Prine. He collected ordinary stones and loose feathers found during his long daily walks. He gave terrible directions, relying not on distance or street name, but on imprecise and unreliable landmarks (a "large rock"; a goat "usually" in a yard). He delighted in odd gifts (a wooden pawnshop donkey presented without context).

Don cared for his mother, Pat, when she was on Hospice. He talked often about how grateful he was for that extra time together. We are likewise thankful for our time with him and hope he felt similarly cared for at the end. After his diagnosis with ALS, Don always said he had lived a good life. Of that, he was unquestionably right. Wherever Don landed, he is making the guy next to him laugh. A private memorial will be announced.