Donald Earlyn Pilgrim

DONALD EARLYN PILGRIM May 19, 1941 – June 25, 2012 Donald Earlyn Pilgrim was born on May 19, 1941, at Sacred Heart Hospital in Eugene Oregon, to Earl and Ada (Jefferson) Pilgrim, and went home to be with his Lord on May 25, 2012. Don was preceded in death by his parents, his daughter, Kimberly Jean (Pilgrim) Dunkin, and his sister, Fern “Claudine” (Pilgrim) Ragadio. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Sharon Lovena (Edmondson) Pilgrim, daughters, Karin Jo Pilgrim-Forkner and Kelly Joy (Pilgrim) Hajek, Son-in-law, Dave Hajek; Grandchildren: Krystal (Hajek) Hooper, Adam Hughley, Kendra (Hajek) Lampert, Scott Hughley, Caleb Dunkin, Josh Forkner, Alexis Dunkin, and Mikayla (Hajek) Royston; Great-Grandchildren: Izaac Klaat, Riley Hooper, Adilee Lampert, Madilyn Lampert, and Owen Hooper; Brothers: Phil Corpus, Tom Corpus, Larry Corpus, and David Black; Sisters: Donna Tanner, and Marilyn Perez; many nieces and nephews. From the age of two years old, he was raised by his father in Springfield, Oregon. Don graduated from Springfield High School in 1959, and was involved with the music program as a drummer. Immediately after high school he attended the University of Oregon, where he also played drums with the U of O Marching Band. March 18, 1961, Don Pilgrim married his “high school sweetheart”, Sharon Lovena Edmondson. Don delivered mail for the US Postal Service in Springfield for a few years; then in mid-1966 Don and Sharon and their three young daughters moved to the Portland Area in order for him to take a job with Carnation Dairy as a wholesale sales and delivery driver. In the early 1970’s, he returned to college for 2 years, and then ultimately spent most of his working years as a Certified Auto Mechanic, including Don and Sharon owning and operating their own auto repair shop, Pilgrim’s Auto Service. In 1993, Don and Sharon closed their auto repair business and for the next 7 years, became the resident managers for a large mini-storage facility in SW Portland. He worked for a short time as an auto repair mechanic for Multnomah County, and then the next 7 years Don was back in very familiar territory, as a retail sales consultant in the tool department of a Portland Sears store. He and Sharon retired in 2007, and set out to concentrate more on DSP Products, which was their model railroad wholesale business which had initially been developed several years prior. Model railroading had been both a serious hobby and passion of Don’s for many years, and as a result of this passion, he belonged to and was an officer in a very active HO model railroad club, “Beaverton Modular Railroad Club” (BMRC). Since 1986, Don and Sharon attended and were members of Portland First Church of the Nazarene, and Don spent many years as a greeter and bus driver, as well as maintaining the church vehicles when he was in the auto repair business. Don was an avid reader, and had always wanted to work in a library or a book store. He became a Lake Oswego Library volunteer a few years ago, performing tasks such as picking up books from the library drop-boxes, becoming a Notary Public to perform the Notary service at the library, as well as holding down the Information Desk at Lake Oswego City Hall for a few hours a week. A memorial service will be held for Don at 11:00 AM, on Friday, June 29, 2012, Portland First Church of the Nazarene, 6100 SW Raab Rd, Portland OR 97221.

Donald Earlyn Pilgrim

May 19, 1941 - June 25, 2012