SENATE RESOLUTION

                             1997-8645

By Senators Newhouse and Deccio

     WHEREAS, Citizens in the Yakima Valley have lost a dear friend, philanthropist, and community leader with the passing of life-long valley resident Dan McDonald, Sr. at age 96; and

     WHEREAS, Dan McDonald, Sr. will always be remembered for publicly supporting his Japanese-American neighbors during World War II; for testifying in favor of Japanese-Americans at Congressional hearings on national defense issues; and for protecting his Japanese-American neighbors' belongings when they were evacuated to internment camps; and

     WHEREAS, He graduated from Washington State University with a degree in agriculture and raised fruit and hops for many years with his wife, Virginia; and 

     WHEREAS, He served as a commissioner with the Washington State Soft Fruit Commission; worked as a member of the fruit cooperative which eventually became Snokist Growers; and was honored as AMan of the Year@ at the 1952 Central Washington State Fair; and

     WHEREAS, He served Yakima Valley through several public offices and community activities, including as a Yakima County Public Utility Commissioner, as a District Five Parker Heights School District board member; as a Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital finance committee member; as a trustee of the Konewock Ditch Company; and as a volunteer with the local Boy Scout troop; and

     WHEREAS, He was a charter and life member of the Yakima Valley Sportsman Association and was honored in 1972 as AOld-Timer of the Year@ for his years of dedication to conservation and his work on the game program for the state of Washington; and

     WHEREAS, He was an active, life-long member of the Parker Heights Presbyterian Church where he served many terms on the Elder-Trustee Board, Deacon's Board, and Pastoral Search Board and established an endowment scholarship fund to aid church members who were graduating high school seniors; and

       WHEREAS, We, in the Legislature, share the sense of loss and grief felt by his family, friends, community, and fellow WSU Cougar alumni;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the members of the Washington State Senate do hereby formally convey our most sincere condolences to the family of Dan McDonald, Sr. and especially his wife, Virginia; we thank them for sharing him with the state and the Yakima Valley; and we hereby urge all citizens of the State of Washington to join us in recognizing and honoring his life of service and his unprejudiced commitment to those less fortunate than him; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Secretary of the Senate immediately transmit copies of this resolution to the family of Dan McDonald, Sr.; Washington State University; the Yakima Chamber of Commerce; Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital;  and Parker Heights Presbyterian Church.

I, Mike O=Connell, Secretary of the Senate,

do hereby certify that this is a true and

correct copy of Senate Resolution 1997-8645,

adopted by the Senate April 22, 1997.

MIKE O=CONNELL

Secretary of the Senate