- Date Of Birth: June 17, 1933
- Date Of Death: May 5, 2018
- State: Idaho
Don Wetherington, 84, a loving father and grandfather, passed away peacefully while surrounded by family, on Saturday May 5, 2018.
Don was born on June 17, 1933, in Pocatello, Idaho, to Paul Wetherington and Eva Miles. Don and his family moved to Arco so that his father could work in his uncle’s (Hugh Wetherington) drug store. His childhood days in Arco were spent playing pretend WWII battles with his neighborhood friends. Don wanted desperately to participate in WWII but was too young at the time. While in Arco, Don excelled in every sport he could play. Don played football, softball and basketball for the Butte Pirates. Don’s uncle was quite a trapper and he loved to trap wild bobcat, muskrats and cougars. It wasn’t long before Don’s uncle was asking him to go along to help him check his traps. Don loved the time that he spent playing sports and trapping cougars with his uncle in Arco, Idaho. Don graduated from Arco High School in 1951.
Don served proudly in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. He spent four years on the aircraft carrier USS Essex. Don often referred to his time in the Navy as the best years of his life, he loved to tell story after story about his days in the Navy.
Don married Caroline Shaunne Thompson in 1960 and together they had six children and seventeen grandchildren. They were married for twenty seven years.
Don graduated from Idaho State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. He taught high school for three years in Waldport, Oregon.
During this time, he also served as Athletic Director and as the Boys Basketball Coach. He proudly took the team to the State Championship competition two years in a row.
Don moved to Salmon, Idaho, in 1966 where he taught at Salmon High School for twenty eight years. He had a great passion for teaching World History, Government, Geography, Economics and P.E. During this time, he also served as the Girls Basketball Coach for four years and the Golf Coach for four years as well.
During the summer months, he worked as a River Guide on the Main Salmon and Middle Fork Rivers for Western River Expeditions. After fifteen years of guiding people down the river he began managing Action Whiter Adventures. Don continued to manage this river company for the next ten years during the summer months.
Don had a great love for the beauty of Idaho and enjoyed being outdoors. He loved living in the Salmon River Valley where his hobbies were getting wood, golfing, holiday decorating, reading, walking and cheering on his favorite sports teams, the Cleveland Browns and Utah Jazz. Don had a passion for WWII history and he frequently requested the Salmon Public Library to order new books for him to read about WWII. Don was an exceptional lifelong student of history.
