Donald "Don" Pac, 90, passed away on September 23, 2026, leaving behind a lifetime of cherished memories, countless friendships, and a family who loved him beyond measure.
Born on December 13, 1935, in Long Beach, California, Don was the eldest of three sons born to Stanley and Helen Pac. Even in his early years, Don was always finding ways to keep busy. He delivered newspapers by bicycle, mowed neighborhood lawns for a dollar, worked as a golf caddy, and rode his bike ten miles to a summer job at the beach. He loved playing fastpitch softball, roller skating, and even proudly recalled winning a school yo-yo contest. He learned to swim in Long Beach and eventually became a lifeguard. Don graduated from Long Beach Polytechnic High School in 1953.
At just 16 years old, Don met the love of his life, Florence Heyer, at a party. With his beloved 1941 Chevy, he decided to take her out for a drive and a trip to the drive-in. As the story goes, Don came whizzing up to her house and honked the horn, only for Florence's father to inform him that if he wanted to see his daughter, he would have to come to the front door. Florence fondly remembers being drawn to Don's height, his handsome style, his politeness, and, of course, that Chevy. She also remembers that he was quite the bookworm, always keeping a collection of books in his car. Their first date took them to a local hamburger spot, and by 17, they were engaged. On August 6, 1954, Don and Florence married, beginning a beautiful partnership that would span 72 years. What started with a handsome young man, a 1941 Chevy, and a teenage romance became a lifetime of love, family, and memories.
Following high school, Don enlisted in the United States Navy on December 1, 1953, proudly serving his country for three years before completing his service in December 1956. After honeymooning in the Pacific Northwest, Don and Florence eventually made Washington their home, settling in Federal Way.
Don began his professional career as a graphic illustrator at McDonnell Douglas in California before moving to Washington to work for Boeing. Over the course of his 40-year career, he held a variety of positions, from graphic illustration and supply chain to his eventual role as Regional Manager for the Spares Department within Boeing's Customer Services Division. In this role, Don and his team helped establish aircraft parts distribution centers and warehouses to support Boeing customers around the world. His dedication and work ethic were unwavering, even making the daily commute from Federal Way to Everett. Don retired from Boeing on August 1, 1995, following a long and accomplished career.
Above all else, Don was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He was the kind of grandpa who showed up, whether it was a sporting event, a family gathering, or simply an opportunity to spend time together. His children and grandchildren could always count on seeing him in the stands, cheering them on through every season of life.
Don and Florence also shared a love for travel, sunshine, and making memories with their family. For more than 40 years, their condominium in Lake Chelan served as a second home, a place where generations of family gathered, celebrated, and made countless memories together. Whether spending summers at the lake or escaping to the warmth of Mexico, Don and Florence made family vacations a cherished tradition. They gave their children and grandchildren the gift of experiences together, creating memories that will continue to be shared and treasured for generations to come.
Don was a man of many talents, hobbies, and very particular preferences. He loved a good book, a glass of bourbon, and a fine cigar. He enjoyed fishing, golfing, grilling, and tinkering in his garage, where everything had its rightful place. Meticulous and precise in everything he did, Don believed in doing things the right way, and keeping a perfectly organized workbench was certainly part of that philosophy. His beautiful penmanship was just one more reflection of the care and attention he brought to everything he touched.
Some of the most treasured memories are the simplest ones. His son Dale remembers early mornings waking to the smell of fresh coffee before Don would fill a thermos and head to American Lake for a day of fishing. Weekends were often spent together in the garage, cleaning and organizing the workbench, making sure every tool was returned to its proper place. His daughter Denise remembers her Dad always being there for her, despite his busy life with work all week, weekend chores, and his hobbies. Dad was always at all our sports games and other events. And no matter what, he always got up early to watch Road Runner with her on Saturday mornings. These ordinary moments became extraordinary memories.
Don also had a knack for making things from scratch. He brewed homemade beer and root beer, and especially loved making his own wine, a tradition he proudly passed down to his grandchildren. One of his most meaningful contributions was making all the wine for his granddaughter Desi and Eric's wedding, a beautiful example of how he shared his talents and love with his family. He also passed along his love of golf, spending countless hours teaching his grandson Tyler the game.
And, of course, Don had his quirks. He was never shy about giving someone a hard time for putting ketchup on a perfectly good steak, and bell peppers and onions had absolutely no place on his plate. He had a well-known sweet tooth, particularly for chocolate cake and chocolate peanut butter ice cream. In fact, a cup of ice cream every single night was practically a requirement. Add a bowl of extra buttery, extra salty popcorn, and Don was perfectly content.
Beyond his family, Don had an extraordinary way of making everyone feel welcome. His home was a gathering place for neighbors, friends, and anyone lucky enough to find themselves in his circle. Over the years, neighborhood kids came to know him affectionately as "Dad" or "Uncle Don," names they continued to use well into adulthood. He had a gift for building lasting relationships wherever he went, and the friendships he created became an extension of his family.
Don is survived by his loving wife of 72 years, Florence; his son, Dale (Denise "DJ"); his daughter, Denise; his grandchildren, Tyler (Kaitlyn), Desi (Eric), Alleah, and Jordan; and his great-granddaughter, Averie.
He is reunited in heaven with his father, Stanley; his mother, Helen; and his brothers, Johnny and David.
While we will miss his stories, his wisdom, his teasing, and his unmistakable presence at family gatherings, we find comfort in knowing that pieces of him live on in all of us. In every glass of homemade wine, every perfectly organized garage, every early morning fishing trip, every summer spent at Lake Chelan, and perhaps even every nightly bowl of ice cream, we will remember him.
Don's legacy isn't measured simply by the years he lived, but by the love he gave, the traditions he passed down, and the countless lives he touched along the way.
We love you, Dad/ Grandpa Pac. Thank you for the memories, the lessons, the laughter, and the love. Until we meet again.
Wonderful neighbor, friend and the father of children our kids grew up with.
Mel and Connie Vanden Berg
Don was, without a doubt, the coolest man I’ve ever known. He was the OG MacGyver before there was ever a MacGyver.
Growing up, Don had a stereo system built right into his living room wall, complete with a receiver, turntable, tape to tape and speakers throughout. To this day, I can still remember Herb Alpert playing in the background as he and Florence had friends over for dinner, parties or just getting ready for a night out. It was one of those things that stuck with me, probably more than Don ever realized.
In 1981, my dad, my brother, and I flew to Asia for my HS graduation, and I came home with an AIWA stereo system of my own. Before long, I decided I was going to recreate Don’s setup. Dale and I proceeded to cut a hole in the wall and built my stereo system right into it, determined to make it look just like his. There was just one difference: my JBL speakers might have been a little bigger and slightly louder.
At the time, my brother and I were living together. He was commuting back and forth between California and Seattle, and our mom was living in Arizona. Dale and I spent a lot of time working on that stereo system, and when we finally finished, we were pretty damn proud of it. My friends thought it was cool. I thought it was cool.
My mom? Not so much.
Luckily, I had a pretty good defense. When she questioned our handiwork, I told her I did it because of Don. I wanted to be just as cool as he was. What could she say to that? I dodged
a bullet that day… and that was that.
Looking back, that little story says a lot about the influence Don had on me. He probably never realized that something as simple as the stereo in his house would inspire me years later to cut a hole in a wall and try to recreate it. But that was Don. He had a way of doing things that made you want to figure out how he did them — and then see if you could do them yourself.
We all have people who shape us as we grow up. Some teach us through their words, some through their advice, and others simply by the way they live. Don was that kind of person for me. He taught me to look at things differently, to be curious, and to have the confidence to take something apart, figure out how it worked, and put it all back together again.
He showed me that you didn't always have to do things the way everyone else did them. Sometimes, you just had to look at something a little differently, have the courage to give it a try, and push yourself enough to see it through.
That was a gift, and one I have carried with me throughout my life.
I will always be grateful for Don and for the influence he had on the person I became. He may not have known how much those little moments meant to me, but they did. And I suspect that's true of so many people who knew him. Sometimes, the things we remember most aren't grand gestures or carefully chosen words. They're the everyday moments that stay with us long after the moment has passed.
For me, one of those moments will always be that stereo system, Herb Alpert playing in the background, and a young guy who wanted to be just like your dad.
He was MacGyver before there was a MacGyver, and he was, and always will be, the coolest man I’ve ever known.
Thank you, Don, for showing me what was possible, for inspiring me to try, and for being someone worth looking up to. I’ll always be forever grateful that I had you and Florence in my life.
Love,
Scott
My sweet Grandpa Pac passed away at 90 years old on 9/23/26. I’ve been trying hard to put this into words because it feels so final that it’s hard to write. I feel like I’ve been sucker punched in the gut for the last 2 weeks. But, for starters, he raised my dad and shaped him into the incredible man he is. He gave us our last name. He is the staple in all of my childhood memories. Every birthday (35 years worth for me!). Every soccer game. Every family dinner. Every trip to Lake Chelan. He loved his bourbon, beer, wine, a smelly cigar, chocolate cake, and peanut butter ice cream. He would tease us for using ketchup on steaks, and it would pain him to grill any steak past medium rare. Everyone that knew him loved him, he had an incredible sense of making everyone feel at home. Grandpa was a source of comfort and stability in his tall presence, his big hands, his warm hugs. He loved us so much. Even while he was sick, and in his final days, every time I would see him his eyes would light up and he’d say “LEAH!” 🥺 as if nothing else in the world mattered. I’m going to miss his physical presence so much, but his memories and love will live on in all of us forever. How blessed am I to form a relationship with him not only as a child but as a grown adult. I love you Gramps. I love the relationship we had, I love being your granddaughter. It pains me to live in a world without you. Say hi to my Grandpa Jones for me ❤️🪽
I will miss you, oh and by the way that was me who always wanted ketchup on my steak and you always gave me a bad time about it and continued to tease me about it for 45 years!!! That and you loved to eat raw oysters in front of me even though I would gross out you thought it was the funniest thing!
Thanks for being such a great dad to my husband and showing him what a great dad is so that he could be one to our children. Thanks for always patting me on the shoulder with those big hands and whispering to me “ you’re doing a great job DJ you’re such a great mom”. Thanks for always to coming to every single event that we had whether it was at the house or at one of the kid’s many sporting events, school concerts, talent shows, award ceremonies etc. You were a huge part of our lives and you will be truly missed. I know how proud you were of Dale and of your grandchildren and how highly you spoke about each one of them. I will never forget delivering my third child and I look up to surprisingly seeing you in the delivery room watching all of it. (I still to this day don’t know how you got into the delivery room). I was mortified that my father-in-law was in the delivery room until I saw your face and I saw the tears streaming down your face and then you saying that was the most beautiful thing you had ever seen in your life and you thanked me for letting you experience this. I don’t think Dale could look you in the face for a couple months but besides that ha ha that was a very key memory that I have of you.
You were fiercely independent up until the very end driving every day to go get you and Flo Taco Time or McDonald’s and to go sit at the park that you both liked. Dale worried everyday for the past year or so that you were out driving around everyday but I secretly admired this and was proud of your stubborn and fierce independence and choosing to live your life on your own terms.
You leave behind a legacy of love, devotion and memories. Thanks for being the best father in law that a girl could have. Love you and I will miss you.
Love your favorite daughter in law, Denise “DJ” ♥️
I will always think of you when eating Tillamook chocolate peanut butter ice cream!!!
Service
Kent, WA, United States 98042
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