Don Boettcher Obituary

Sorry to read of Don's passing - thank you all for presenting such a wonderful picture of his life. I remember from middle to high school the twinkle in his eye and his laughter.

Hadn't seen him since high school, but remember him through your words - God's blessings to his friends and family who knew him so well..

To The Boettcher Family,
We were so sorry to hear of Dons sudden passing. We will miss seeing his big smile. Please know our thoughts are with you.

Life goes full circle, from the school days in FFA where I met Don for the first time. He always made us laugh through the whole meeting. He was always there with a helping hand. Then I married Clarence and he was working with Don hauling gravel years later, goes to show the man can make freinds with anyone. Sorry to hear of Don passing he will be miss by all.

"Dandy Don". You were one in a million. Your infectious laugh always brought a smile to everyone within 100 feet . Thanks for keeping all the bad guys away from my pretty sisters in High School, and for giving the basketball coach an earful when he took me out of the game. You were a wonderful friend Don. Your smile will will never be forgotten. I will miss you big guy !

MD

Don gave me my first real taste of the word "work", and I loved it. I got a job from him when I was 15 years old. He once told me, as I was shoveling you know what, "I wouldn't make you do anything I haven't done." And this was how I saw don, working, laughing, working, telling jokes, and more working. He was one of the most influential people of my life, and I will miss him until we meet again. I will never forget hay season, hated it, and yet looked forward to it. Mel and Dave picking on the little guy, me. With Don chiming in to fuel the laughter. Many people were lucky to meet Don, and I am a better person because I was one of them. And when the Saints.............

~Don~

Walt and I have been reminiscing all week about all of the great memories that we have of you! And we've laughed at a lot of them! Walt even dug up some old gravel pit pictures with you & the boys with those poor mangled cars!

We were so shocked that you were taken away so suddenly.

~Patty, Amy, Tim~

I'm sure no one misses Don more than you. But he was an Arlington Legend that many people have known & loved for a very long time!

Things just won't be the same and he will be deeply missed by many!

May God bless you and keep you until you are together again.

My memories of Don go way back. He was one of my husbands,(boyfriend back then), best friends & barely tolerated my tagging along. Eventually he came around & realized that I was a part of the 'pack' & started to call me by my 1st name instead of his nickname for me of 'Reevesie'. We all kept touch through the years even though we live some distance away. Mike will always remember the summers during & after high school spent haying alongside Don & the races in front of his farm. Don will be missed by us both.

Well, in memory of Don, I'm going to go to The Fountain Drive-In in Arlington and see if they still have the 'Boettcher Burger' on the menu and order one up.
A 'burn-out' on the way seems fitting too, seeing how Don helped me out with replacement tires when I did a burn out in the old Safeway parking lot with a Vic Cox courtesy car (back in the 70's) till the tires blew......

The chair in our kitchen that Don sat in every morning sits empty today. It just wouldn't be right to sit in it. No one could tell a story or laugh like Don could. We all knew we would miss that when he retired on Friday, but figured we had so much time to say "thank you" over breakfast some morning before work. I am so sorry we didn't tell you that when you were here, Don.

We miss him, but our lives have been so enriched with him in it.

Don was a good friend and a real mentor when I really needed one. I will always remember Saturday's hanging out with Don and wrenching on my Chevelle. Everyone had to leave a long patch of rubber in front of Don's place and he always had a car in the garage that could put us all to shame. Don will always be a part of my glory days. I am sorry that he is gone from this earth and that I never met his wife and children. He was a great guy and I am blessed to have had him in my life. God's speed and a fast Nova my friend....

The two memories I will remember the most about Don are:
1. Going christmas shopping with my dad and brother, Don would always come along, and every time me and my brother would go home with about 40 different scents of perfume on our clothes from Don. He would always attack us with perfume, it was tradition.
2. Going out to the gravel pit with my Dad, Mom and brother and watching all the guys race the beat up cars around the home made race track, it was one of my favorite things to do.
Don was a GREAT man and he will be missed. I am so happy to have known him.

May you have everything you so treasure at your peck and call-No more need to fetch those cows,they will come with just a whissel.MY SYMPATHEY TO THOSE YOU LEFT BEHIND-OUR HEARTS ARE WITH YOU all.from our familey to all of you. Randy and Cindy Hill

What do you say in a few words about a guy who you've known most of your life, who is one of your best friends, who you love like a brother, who is there larger than life one minute, then gone the next?
I first met Don when I was sixteen and baled hay for Don's dad Gus and his uncle Paul. Don was twelve, nearly ag big as the rest of the crew and worked along side us. We laughed at his antics and got the hard job done while having fun. That is the way it went for the next forty years, any time Don needed help, his friends would show up; if you needed anything Don would drop everything and come to your aid. It didn't matter if it was haying, fence building, working cows, hauling gravel, building barns, welding equipment, fixing cars, the work never seemed hard when Don was around.
Don always had an opinion about every subject and it didn't matter if you agreed with him or not, it was just the way it was with Don and you always knew you were his friend.
I will always remember his firm handshake, hardy laugh, and friendship. He may not be physically with us now but he will never be forgotten. I count myself truly blessed and lucky to have known Don and his family and am proud to say to everyone that we are friends of Don Boettcher. Until we meet again, old friend!!

To Don's Family,

We were so sad to hear of Don's passing, but weren't surprised to hear even to the end he was doing what he enjoyed. He and his dad were very important to Marysville Livestock Auction and all of his friends from the auction want to extend our deepest sympathy to your family at this sad time.

To Patty and Family,
Russ and I knew of Don and I met Patty before you married Don. We feel that he was one of the original "welcoming committee" when we moved to Arlington Heights. The world is a smaller place without him. Rest in peace.
Russ and Lori Stach

Don's Family
The memories of Don take me back to some of the most enjoyable times in my life, He truly was a dare devil and he would try to test my patrol car on 530 always saying I don't know how those black marks got there. If you were his friend you were there for ever. many times he saved me a lot trouble and even danger. I and my family truly LOVE this man and I could never thank him enough for his friendship.

Personally myself, I never got the privilage to really get to know Don, but my boyfriend did. He talked about him so much that I felt I had known him for years. His passing is taking a huge toll on all of us and he will definitely be missed to the fullest. I know each and every person who knew Don will carry a part of him with them. He truely has left his mark in this world!

A message to Don:

Although I never got the chance to get to know you first hand, my memories I do have, I will carry with me until the day I get to see you again, and I bet I'll get a smile out of you yet! You will be missed so much!

Rest In Peace Don!!!!

Don and I grew up together, had some of the same teachers and rode the same school bus. We both grew up on farms and baled hay for your dads. Don always smiled and had a good sense of humor. He worked hard and took pride in what ever he did. Don even had a hamburger named after him - "The Boettcher Burger". About 10 of us from work each ordered one for lunch one day. Wow, that's a burger! Don will always be remembered and as I drive by the old farm on 530, it will always be the “Boettcher Farm” (without the burnouts)! Don had a life well lived and he won’t be forgotten.

Don,
Born the first baby in 1954 in Mt. Vernon, Skagit County and weighing 7 lbs,11 oz. , you were the apple of Dad and Mom's eye from the time you came into their lives and to their deaths and from their graves. Nothing you have done since Mom died made your life bigger, but you thought so..... Yes you were proud to be onery, but you had to live with that......
Linda and I will remember.....
-the times we laughed until we cried watching your antics,
- the 4-H animals that we had to train for you,
- the mornings you had to milk the cow before school,
- the watermelon eating contests.
- the spitting contests while waiting for the bus,
- how you hated to dress up, go to family functions, and make a big deal out of anything,
- the fights you would get into at school, and the next day the guy was your friend again,
- the three of us crying when Vernie accidentally hit you in the head with the bat, and Linda grabbing the dirty gunny sack to curb the blood as we ran from the pasture to the house,
-the time you came to me wanting advice on what to do with your life- something besides the farm, and you finally figured out that you liked the independent lifestyle and cows weren't too bad after all.
- the night you flipped the car in the river and scared us to death,
- the broken leg that later caused so much pain,
- Your placing a jack knife in Dad's pocket at his funeral so he could fix things in Heaven,
- your marriage and the birth of your son Timothy Gus Boettcher,
- Your decision to move to Eastern Washington- and your decision to move back to the Wet side- knowing that you liked rust more than dust,
- your helping Mom and me during the last year of her life,

And most of all I will remember how you hated to express your love and feelings, apologize, or cry, but we will all cry for you now.
Donny, I love you my "little" brother. My tears are real.

To Don's Family:
Don was the 1st friend I met when I moved to Arlington in 1963. We met thru 4H and he was always "Delightful Don" From throwing kittins into cow poop when we were 8-9 yrs old ( our Mom's read us the riot act ) to being the proud papa's when we assisted in a tough calf delivery, to "swamping old cars" in the gravel pit to drag racing cars on local roads to watermelon eating contest at the Farmer of the Year event. I keep thinking about all the times we spent together, Don, you were a large part of my early life that I will never forget. The world is now less without your presence. Your children are lucky to have known you and after the pain of your loss softens, the memories will be forever. I will miss you "Delightful Don"
Ted

Don was an Arlington Legend. Besides loving his farm work, he loved fast cars and burning rubber. He was loved by everyone, including my two boys. God bless his family and children.

So long Don,see you again, one of these days

To an old classmate and even older friend when we rode the sled in the hayfields, did the burnouts on the Darrington highway, or enjoyed the famous Boettcher burger at the Fountain Drive-in, we had fun.

You will be missed.

Scott and Diane Lundberg