Donald Emil Kocina

Published 12:31 am Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Oct. 8, 1928 – Feb. 12, 2014

Don was born in Verdigre, NE October 8, 1928, the eldest of three children to Emil and Lillian Kocina. He has a sister, Rita (Hildreth) of Medford and brother, Jerome of Vancouver, WA.

Don attended school in Verdigre, NE and graduated from Fort Collins, CO in 1945. After graduation, he returned to Verdigre, NE and held several jobs – truck driver, heavy equipment operator and farmer.

He married Lois E. Belka in Verdigre, NE on October 25, 1949. To this union, four sons were born: Douglas, Brian, Ross, and Neil.

Don moved his family to the west coast where he had an airline career. He managed stations in Omak, WA, Medford, OR and Redmond, OR for West Coast Airlines, which later became Air West, then Hughes Airwest, then Republic Airlines and finally Northwest Airlines. He retired from Northwest Airlines after 35 years of service. He loved his career and enjoyed taking Lois on many trips, like Hawaii, New Zealand, Fiji, Japan, China, as well as several surprise vacations. After he retired from the airline, he owned and operated a cleaning service called The Scrub Gals in Redmond, OR.

Don and Lois loved to travel, so he purchased a motor home and they traveled in all 49 states and nine provinces with only one fender bender – which was not his fault.

He was an active member of the St. Thomas Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus, and he had belonged to the Kiwanis Club and also the Rotary Clubs in Medford and Redmond.

Don was also the proud owner of a 1957 BMW Isetta, which he entered in parades and shared special times and rides with his grandchildren.

His grandchildren will be honorary pallbearers. They are Heather Puksta, Heath Kocina, Jessica Darbonne, Ashtyn Kocina, Alex Kocina, and Kyle Kocina.

He has four great-grandchildren, Hannah and Madison Kocina, Kierra Puksta, Dillon Roark, and a great-granddaughter, Ida who is to arrive in June.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Lois; daughter- in-law, Bette (wife of Douglas who was deceased in 1988) and their children, Heather and Heath; son, Brian and his son, Kyle; son, Ross and his wife, Susan and daughters Jessica and Jenna; and son, Neil and his wife, Pam and their children, Ashtyn and Alex.

Don was preceded in death by his oldest son, Douglas; and his parents, Emil and Lillian.

In lieu of flowers donations in Dons name can be made to St. Thomas Catholic Church Building Fund of Redmond; Partners in Care of Bend; or The American Cancer Society. Please sign our online Guest Book at www.RedmondMemorial.com

Don Kocina