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Donald Richard Mercer |
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September 25, 1929 ~ October 24, 2014 |
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October 28, 2014 |
On the night of October 24, 2014 Don passed away
peacefully at North Idaho Hospice House, in
Coeur d’Alene Idaho, from complications of a
heart attack earlier in the month. During his
stay at Hospice House, Don was surrounded by his
family and loved ones. He was 85 years old.
Don Mercer was born in Bonners Ferry, Idaho on
September 25, 1929. He was the last child born
to Mamie and Arthur Mercer.
Don lived most of his life on the North side of
Bonners Ferry, going to grade school at the
Northside School. It was at this school that he
first met his future wife, the cutest little red
head girl he’d ever seen. Don completed his
education in 8th grade and went straight to
work. He held numerous jobs as a young man and
started working for the U.S. Forest Service in
1970, where he worked with the road maintenance
and trail building crews. Don enjoyed his job
and the opportunity it gave him to be out in the
beauty of Bonners Ferry. He retired from the
U.S. Forest Service in the early 1990’s.
Don started dating his red-headed sweetheart,
Della Huggins, while she was in High School.
They married at the Hitching Post in Coeur
d'Alene on July 1, 1949. They celebrated 65
years of marriage this year.
Don and Della purchased their family home on the
Northside of Bonners Ferry where they raised
their five children. Family was the most
important thing to Don and most holidays and
birthdays were celebrated at their home. Don and
Della lived at their home on the Northside in
Bonners Ferry until 2012, when they moved to The
Garden Plaza in Post Falls, Idaho where they
resided until his heart attack.
During his life, Don was very active in the
outdoors and enjoyed hunting in his younger
years with his brothers-in-law, friends, and son
Tim. After the loss of his son, Don lost the
urge to hunt, instead admiring the beauty of
nature, hiking, horn hunting, huckleberry
picking and getting firewood. He was an avid
sports fan and enjoyed being a boxing coach,
watching his son Tim play sports and coaching
his daughter's softball team.
Don was preceded in death by his parents, Mamie
and Arthur Mercer, Brother Eugene Mercer, Sister
Bernice Thompson, Son Timothy Mercer and Great
Grand Daughter Lila Swift.
Don is survived by his wife Della, brother, Jack
Mercer, daughters, Roxy (Sam) Tortorelli, Pam
(Greg) Mead, Colleen (Travis) Towles, and Kelly
(Abe) Juarez. Grandchildren, Jason Mercer,
Jacque (Toby) Gladwell, Mikki (Toni) Mead,
Walker (Richelle) Mead, Tyler (Ashley) Mead,
Luke Mead, Timothy (Ariana) Lederhos, Sarrah
(Levi) Falk, Cassadi (Danny) Swift, Courtney
(Zach) Branson, RaeLynn Juarez, Brady Juarez.
Great Grandchildren, Joci, Kade, Rowan, Claire,
Matthew, Travis, Josef, Jazmyn, Christopher,
Nicholas, Brady, Ellie, Grayson, Addie, Brody,
Corbin and numerous nieces and nephews.
Please join his family in a celebration of life
on Saturday November 1st at 1:30 p.m., at the
Mountain Springs Church, 6789 South Main, in
Bonners Ferry.
In lieu of flowers please send donations to:
Hospice of North Idaho, 9493 N. Government Way,
Hayden, Idaho 83835, or
www.hospiceofnorthidaho.org or call
208-772-7994.
Condolences may be sent to his wife, Della, in
care of Roxy Tortorelli, 3104 N. Lodge Pole
Road, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho 83815. |
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