Donald Frederick Keene

Donald Frederick Keene, 72, of Edmonds, Washington, passed away on January 27, 2015. Don was born June 5, 1942, in Lame Deer, Montana, to Fred Earl and Pauline Montana (Beall) Keene. During his early years, his family moved often with his fathers career as a civil engineer in the US Governments Bureau of Indian Affairs. From Montana, the family moved to Keams Canyon, Arizona (1945-1946), Pine Ridge, South Dakota (1946-1950), Fort Washakie, Wyoming (1950-1955), and then to Gallup, New Mexico. Dons elementary education was in the local Indian reservation day schools. Since there were no high schools on the Indian reservations, his parents sent him to Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah. Don graduated in 1959. Don then went on to college and graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Westminster College in 1965. While at Westminster College, Don married Lynne Madsen from Mt. Pleasant, Utah. Don and Lynne had two sons, Kraig and Brian. Don began his career as an oceanographer for the US Coast and Geodetic Survey in Washington, DC, then transferred to the US Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He then went back to school at Oregon State University where he earned his Master of Science (1971) and Ph.D. (1974) in Oceanography. In 1974 he pted a position with the newly created Outer Continental Shelf Office of the US Bureau of Land Management in Washington, DC. The Offices purpose was to determine the effects of offshore oil activities on the marine environment. From there he pted the position of Chief of Environmental Studies for the Bureau of Land Managements office in Los Angeles, California. In 1979, Don left the Bureau of Land Management for an environmental position with ARCO Alaska Oil and Gas Company in Anchorage, Alaska. He designed numerous studies to determine the effects of oil exploration and production on Alaskan wildlife, especially caribou and marine mammals. In 1982 he left Alaska to become the Director of Environmental, Safety and Training for ARCO Oil and Gas Company in Bakersfield, California. While in Bakersfield, Don and Lynne divorced. Then in 1990, Don took a position as Risk Manager of Environment, Safety and Health for ARCO Transportation Company in Long Beach, California. He retired from ARCO in 1995. In 1994 Don met and married Susan Moseley in Pasadena, California. After enjoying their honeymoon in the Greek Islands, Don and Susan continued to delight in traveling together. When Susan retired in 2002, Don and Susan moved to Bellingham, Washington, where they built their home overlooking Bellingham Bay and the Puget Sound. In 2010, Don and Susan moved to Edmonds. Don remained active in retirement. He was a member of Edgewood Baptist Church. Don was also interested in helping young boys find purpose in life and ascend sussfully to manhood. He wrote two books, the first entitled Ascending from Boyhood, and the second entitled Ascending to Manhood. Don also supported Fathers in the Field, an organization that defends the cause of the fatherless by providing godly mentoring fathers. Don loved the outdoors and pursued many outdoor activities throughout his life, including fly-fishing when he was younger and hiking when he was older. He owned a small airplane in Bakersfield and spent many hours surveying the outdoors from a new, higher perspective. Later, he and Susan took their motorcycle out for rides throughout Southern California. Don is survived by his spouse, Susan Keene; his two sons and their spouses, Kraig and Jantima Keene, and Brian and Susan Keene; his granddaughters Monica and Amanda; his sister Margaret Ratje; his brother Robert Keene; and his five nephews, Paul, Ken, Tim, John and Jeff. Don was preceded in death by his older brother Paul Keene.