Donald McCord Jr. passed away peacefully at his home in Langley on Feb. 26, 2010.

Don was born on June 18, 1940 in Astoria, Ore. where his father was stationed in the Coast Guard.

The family moved to Seattle in 1942, where Don lived for the next 16 years. Don spent much of his adolescence fishing and swimming around the train trestle at Magnolia. He attended Blaine Junior High School and Queen Anne High School.

At 18 years of age, he joined the Navy and spent most of the next six years on ships in Southeast Asia. After his service with the Navy, he continued to spend his time around boats, living and working on them as a mechanic in the Ballard Locks area. He also spent a couple of seasons on a commercial fishing boat in Alaska.

Don moved to Whidbey Island around 1980, where he could be close to his parents who moved to Freeland in 1976. Don was quite a shy person initially, until he got to know you and felt comfortable with you. Don loved to fish and to tinker with his radios. He also loved the peace and serenity of the island and the friendships he made along his journey.

Don was preceded in death by his parents Donald and Frances McCord and his sisters, Marilyn Smith and Jean Edvalds. He leaves behind a brother, Richard McCord, who will miss him dearly; his sister-in-law Susan, and nephews Brian and Brent McCord, Jerry and Annie Smith and many other nieces and nephews; his friend and housemate Willard Parmlee, and all of his friends on Whidbey.

Arrangements are being made by Visser Funeral Home, 432 Third St., Langley. A memorial service will be held at the chapel there at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 13.

Friends and family may also view the online obituary, sign and leave messages at www.visserfuneralhome.com.