Don Mercer, 85

On the night of Oct. 24, 2014, Don Mercer, 85, passed away peacefully at North Idaho Hospice House in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, from complications of a heart attack earlier in the month.

During his stay at Hospice House, Don was surrounded by his family and loved ones.

Join his family in a celebration of life on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 1:30 p.m., Mountain Springs Church, 6789 South Main, Bonners Ferry, Idaho.

Don was born in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, on Sept. 25, 1929. He was the last child born to Mamie and Arthur Mercer.

Don lived most of his life on the north side of Bonners Ferry, going to grade school at the Northside School. It was at this school that he first met his future wife, the cutest little redhead girl he’d ever seen.

Don completed his education in eighth grade and went straight to work. He held numerous jobs as a young man and started working for the U.S. Forest Service in 1970, where he worked with the road maintenance and trail building crews.

Don enjoyed his job and the opportunity it gave him to be out in the beauty of Bonners Ferry. He retired from the U.S. Forest Service in the early 1990s.

Don started dating his red-headed sweetheart, Della Huggins, while she was in high school. They married at the Hitching Post in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho on July 1, 1949. They celebrated 65 years of marriage this year.

Don and Della purchased their family home on the northside of Bonners Ferry where they raised their five children.

Family was the most important thing to Don and most holidays and birthdays were celebrated at their home. Don and Della lived at their home on the northside in Bonners Ferry until 2012 when they moved to the Garden Plaza in Post Falls, Idaho,where they resided until his heart attack.

During his life, Don was very active in the outdoors and enjoyed hunting in his younger years with his brother-in-laws, friends and son, Tim.

After the loss of his son, Don lost the urge to hunt, instead admiring the beauty of nature, hiking, horn hunting, huckleberry picking and getting firewood. He was an avid sports fan and enjoyed being a boxing coach, watching his son Tim play sports and coaching his daughters’ softball team.

Don was preceded in death by his parents, Mamie and Arthur Mercer, brother Eugene Mercer, sister Bernice Thompson, son Timothy Mercer and great-granddaughter Lila Swift.

Don is survived by his wife Della; brother, Jack Mercer; daughters: Roxy (Sam) Tortorelli, Pam (Greg) Mead, Colleen (Travis) Towles, and Kelly (Abe) Juarez; grandchildren: Jason Mercer, Jacque (Toby) Gladwell, Mikki (Toni) Mead, Walker (Richelle) Mead, Tyler (Ashley) Mead, Luke Mead, Timothy (Ariana) Lederhos, Sarrah (Levi) Falk, Cassadi (Danny) Swift, Courtney (Zach) Branson, RaeLynn Juarez, Brady Juarez; and great-grandchildren, Joci, Kade, Rowan, Claire, Matthew, Travis, Josef, Jazmyn, Christopher, Nicholas, Brady, Ellie, Grayson, Addie, Brody, Corbin and numerous nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers please send donations to: Hospice of North Idaho, 9493 N. Government Way, Hayden, Idaho 83835 or www.hospiceofnorthidaho.org or call 208-772-7994.

Condolences can be sent to his wife, Della, in care of Roxy Tortorelli, 3104 N. Lodge Pole Road, Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho 83815.