Don B. Weiland, 87, of Stanwood Washington died peacefully at home on December 21, 2017.   He was born on February 24, 1930, to the late Clarence and Constance Weiland in Detroit Michigan and later moved to California with his parents.

He met Doris [Dodie] Plummer at North Redondo Chapel California and they were married in 1954.  Don was preceded in death by an infant son, Daniel. He is survived by his wife, Dodie, of almost 64 years and their four other children and their spouses: Darrell (Robin) Weiland, Denise (David) Keyes, David (Lisa) Weiland and Diane (Arne) Wennerberg as well as 9 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.

Don graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Northrop Institute of Technology in 1960.  He worked for Northrop until he retired and moved the family to Paradise California where he owned and operated Nature Lane Health Food Store until he closed it and chose to return to Northrop.  A few years later he and Dodie moved to Mount Hermon and Don went to work for Lockheed in Sunnyvale, California.  Two of his projects included the guidance system for the SR-71 and the Gravity Probe B that tested Einstein's theory of general relativity.  Don had a brilliant mind and was able to take difficult concepts and make them understandable (though Einstein's theory was a stretch for the rest of us).

Don loved airplanes and learned to fly in a Stearman biplane in 1951.  For a Christmas present in 2002, he was given a ride in a restored Stearman and was allowed to fly it by the owner/pilot.  Don also loved to fish, camp, golf, and play games with his kids and grandkids.  Don had a beautiful voice and sang baritone as well as bass in quartets and choirs.  Dressed in Charles Dicken's style clothing (wearing a wonderful top hat made by Dodie), Don and other carolers sang for Lights of Christmas at Warm Beach Camp.

More important than his hobbies and accomplishments as an Engineer, Don was passionate about his Lord and the study of Scripture.  Don was a follower of Jesus Christ and lived as an example of faith and integrity.  He lived in obedience to God  even to the point of leaving Northrop for a couple years and moving to the Brazilian jungle with his wife and three little children (ages 1 to 6) to be missionaries. When they returned to the States they ran a youth ministry called "Jet Cadets" at North Redondo Chapel.   They eventually moved to Huntington Beach, CA and attended the Evangelical Free Church where Don became an Elder and Adult Sunday School Teacher.  After moving to Paradise and later Mount Hermon, they eventually settled in Stanwood Washington and became members of Cedarhome Baptist Church where they became "Grandpa" and "Grandma" to the congregation.  Don and Dodie worked with the youth in their AWANA program.

A memorial service will be held on January 13, 2018  at 1 p.m. at Cedarhome Baptist Church, 29000 68th Avenue NW, Stanwood Washington 98292.

(360) 629-9771.