Donald H. Raleigh, DDS June 15, 1918 – September 9, 2019 Donald H. Raleigh passed away in Edmonds, WA with class and style on Monday, September 9, 2019 at the tender age of 101. He was a man of incredible honesty, fairness, intellect and humor, always with a devilish twinkle in his eye. Don was born in Tacoma, WA in a home that eventually became the University of Puget Sound music school. He graduated from Stadium High School in 1936 and then the College of Puget Sound in 1940 with a Bachelors in Business Administration. After college he took advantage of the V7 program and received an Ensign’s commission. In June 1940, he was ordered to the USS Maryland and in June 1941, with the Pacific Fleet, was sent to Pearl Harbor. On December 7, 1941 at 7:50AM, Ensign Don Raleigh was on the quarterdeck having just relieved the officer on watch when he looked up and saw a flight of single-engine planes approaching from the south. He was one of the first to call in the alarm of the attack on Pearl Harbor. His ship was hit by two bombs and lost three men despite being moored on the shore side of the USS Oklahoma which had heavy loses. After the attack, the USS Maryland returned to the Bremerton Ship Yard for repairs. Once repairs were complete, the ship returned to the Pacific Fleet and provided support for the Marines at Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands and later at the Marshall Islands. Don was transferred as a Lieutenant to the USS Wilkes-Barre, a light cruiser, serving as the fire control officer and assistant gunnery. The ship fought at Okinawa, Tarawa, Kwajalein and Iwo Jima. The ship was present in Tokyo Harbor, where Don watched through a gunnery rangefinder as Emperor Hirohito met General Douglas MacArthur on the battleship USS Missouri to sign Japan’s formal surrender. In 1946, Don returned to civilian life having achieved the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Time to set a new course, so following information from a shipmate, dentistry seemed like a good direction. The Navy taught him that he wanted to be his own boss and dentistry matched perfectly. In 1946, he enrolled in the brand new UW School of Dentistry. Don graduated second in his class in 1950 earning induction into Omicron Kappa Upsilon, the dental honor society and practiced dentistry in downtown Seattle for 42 years. Don’s parents were Percy and Alison Raleigh, long-time Tacoma residents. His Mother’s best friend was Zella Turner who subsequently married, moved to California, and named her second daughter Alison after her best friend. When Don was stationed in San Francisco, he looked up his Mother’s best friend and met daughter, Alison. They dated and ultimately married in 1944. Don and Alison raised three children in Seattle with summers on Vashon Island. Spending many hours sailing, water skiing, digging clams, cutting wood, and raking madrone leaves. Alison passed away in 1991. In 1992, Don married, Alda Wakefield and moved to Edmonds, travelling internationally, and then Don settled into actively playing pool and bridge at both the Edmonds and Lynnwood senior centers. He is survived by his loving second wife of 26 years, Alda; her three children Marilyn Perry, Carolyn Wakefield (deceased) and David Wakefield (Diane); his brother Dave Raleigh; as well as his three loving and adoring children: Bill (Wray) Raleigh is a retired dentist, Carolyn (Ken deceased) Smithee is a retired National Park naturalist, naturopath, and science teacher, and Betsy Raleigh (Carolyn Clark) works part-time at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. Don is also survived by his two loving granddaughters, Kelsey (Jonathan) Alessi and great grandson Bradley Alessi, and Tara Smithee (Eric Hein). Tara and Eric were married on August 31, 2019 and Don walked Tara down the aisle in a wooded setting on the Oregon coast. He died unexpectedly on September 9, 2019. As he told people at the wedding and reception, he had a final mission and couldn’t croak just yet. Don requested that there be no funeral nor service.