Donovan John Decker

1935 - 2019

Donovan John Decker

Donovan John "Jay" Decker, DDS, MSD, 83, had a way of putting smiles on faces. Not only did Jay straighten the teeth of thousands of Seattleites over more than 40 years as an orthodontist, he was also a compulsive teller of jokes and relayer of witticisms, leaving laughter in his wake wherever he went.

Jay was born March 16, 1935, in Walla Walla, WA, to Don and Ethel Decker. The family moved throughout the Midwest as Don pursued teaching jobs in Clear Lake, WI, Osseo and St. Louis Park, MN. Eventually they landed in Tukwila, WA, where Don had risen to principal, but Jay had his sights set on attending Roosevelt HS and lobbied the family to move once again. Jay flourished at Roosevelt (1953) where he was quarterback on the football team and ran track. He went on to attend UW where he majored in physics, and was a member of Phi Gamma Delta. One of his proudest achievements was rowing crew under legendary coaches Stan Pocock and Al Ulbrickson, cementing the foundation of tenacity and precision that would guide his life. He attended dental school at UW, followed by two years of research in the Dept. of Biological Structure. After graduating from the UW orthodontic program in 1964, he started a private orthodontic practice in the Sand Point neighborhood that he maintained through 2007. He continued his UW research work up and through the mid '90's and wrote countless peer-reviewed articles to that end. Not content to retire, he proudly taught courses within UW's orthodontic department on orthodontic techniques and the biomechanics of tooth movement through 2018.

Jay married Linda Kocher in 1964. While the marriage ended in divorce, he would say his greatest source of pride was being father to his son, Jay Jr., and daughter, Amy. For the past 28 years he has been married to Cathy Decker, whose love he routinely described as a blessing and guiding light.

Jay was an a avid outdoorsman and spent many happy years teaching skiing at Alpental. He had a great passion for photography and studied with Ansel Adams and Johsel Namkung. He loved golf, hiking, ski mountaineering, and treasured weekly lunch dates with his son. His morning ritual included completing the NYT ken-ken puzzle and frequent UW campus walks or climbing the Howe St. stairs with his beloved friend, John Davis, DDS.

Jay passed away on February 7, 2019. He is survived by his wife, Cathy; his son, Jay, Jr., (Joan Suver); daughter, Amy (Brian Strause); and stepson Jason Merryman (Christina Graham), and their two sons.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Donations can be made to the American Red Cross or WA State Ski and Snowboard Museum. Sign Jay's online

Guest Book @ www.Legacy.com