Don Schussler died peacefully at his home in Port Townsend, Washington on Dec. 16, 2020 at age 80, following a courageous battle with prostate cancer.
Don was born in Yakima, Washington, where he graduated from Davis High School in 1958. Following high school, he earned his Bachelor’s and Juris Doctorate degrees from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. In 1962, Don married his high school sweetheart, Judy Elliott, who also attended Willamette University.
At age 16, Don began part-time work as a radio announcer, something he greatly enjoyed and continued through law school. Upon leaving law school Don clerked at the Oregon Supreme Court, which led to his hiring as an assistant to Senator Wayne Morse. After returning from Washington, D.C. he joined the District Attorney’s office in Salem.
In 1969, the Schussler family returned to Yakima and Don entered private law practice until 2006. He served on the Yakima Planning Commission and City Council in the 1970s, and was elected in 1978 to the Yakima School Board on which he served for 12 years. An avid tennis player, he enjoyed playing regularly at the Yakima Tennis Club. During this period Don taught school law at both Heritage University in Toppenish and Central Washington University in Ellensburg. He was an avid reader and enjoyed school, so after retirement he went on to earn a Master’s degree in English from Central Washington University.
In an ongoing desire to serve the community, he served for several years as a volunteer mediator for the Dispute Resolution Centers of Yakima, Jefferson, and Kitsap counties.
Don and Judy moved to Port Townsend full time in 2007, having been frequent visitors (and later part-time residents) since the early 1980s. In Port Townsend, Don enjoyed golf, serving on the Historic Preservation Committee, and his membership in the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club where he always enjoyed the stimulating conversations of its members.
Don is survived by his wife of 58 years, Judy, also from Yakima; his children John (Wendy) and Carolyn (Mark); his grandchildren, Katie, Liz, and Gigi; and his sister, Clare Kime.
The family regrets that a gathering is not currently possible and hopes to have a memorial celebration later this year if conditions allow.
The family is grateful for the compassionate care provided by the hospice team and suggests memorial gifts to the Hospice Foundation for Jefferson Healthcare.
