Donald Michael Seresun was a hard-working man with Croatian and Yugoslavian ancestry. He loved his family deeply and was immensely proud of his wife and five daughters. Don prided himself on being a devoted father who provided well for his family and helped raise five independent women. On Friday, April 12, 2024, Don passed away peacefully in Gig Harbor, WA with family by his side.
Don was born in Roslyn, WA on December 11, 1931 to Ann and Mike Seresun. He was raised in Seattle, WA with his sister, Judith (Judy) Ann. Don was a decorated athlete throughout both high school and college. While in high school, Don met Helen Patricia (Pat) Barton on a blind date. In the fall of 1949, Don enrolled at the University of Washington and played collegiate football until he experienced a career-ending knee injury. By this time, Don and Pat’s relationship blossomed, and they were married in an intimate ceremony in Seattle, WA on May 3, 1952.
From 1953 until 1961, Don’s work ethic shined as he held down full-time employment and worked tirelessly in the evenings and on weekends building a house for his new family. The house was located in Renton, WA, and is where Don and Pat called home and raised their daughters for 48 years. On April 1, 1961, Don and Pat experienced a devasting loss with the passing of their second daughter, Cindy. She was 5 years old.
Don was not an idle person, he spent his spare time focusing his attention and interest in working with his hands on remodeling the family’s summer cabin located on Lake Sawyer in Kent, WA. “The cabin” was a focal point for Don and his family and produced many happy memories.
Professionally, Don worked in the steel industry and held various jobs including a position as operations manager in Anchorage, Alaska. As a recreational hunter and fisherman, Don had always wanted to experience life in Alaska and was intrigued by the great outdoors. In 1988, the couple headed North to the great State of Alaska, both enthusiastic and open to the life experiences this adventure would bring.
Upon returning to Seattle after their journey to Alaska, Don retired and he and Pat relocated to Camano Island, WA. This is a place they had visited during their honeymoon and where they always desired to live. Here the couple spent 15 years enjoying their life together with the beautiful scenery of the enchanting Pacific Northwest surrounding them. During retirement, Don started building hurdy gurdies, a string instrument that originated in Europe. Don developed this hobby into an international business with more than 100 sales across Europe and the United States.
After 68 years of marriage and a lifetime together, Don lost his devoted wife, Pat, to cancer on April 15, 2020.
Don is survived by four daughters and their spouses; Machelle and Art Nagel, Dawn and Peter Rudolph, Kelly and Peter Johnson, and Karen Seresun and Kim Kelly; ten grandchildren and their partners, Kristina (Nagel) and Aaron Parker, Julia (Nagel) and Brett Waybrant, Vanessa Nagel and Christian DesGeorges, Christopher Nagel, Brianna Nagel and Edward Poole, Jonathan Nagel, Leah (Rudolph) and Jason Loo, Haley (Rudolph) and Brandon Hepko, Alexys Johnson and Mike Everett, and Aaron Johnson; and four great grandchildren, Carter DesGeorges, Colin Parker, and Tungsten and Taylor Waybrant.
Don will be interred at Sunset Hills Cemetery in Bellevue, WA.
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