Don Beasley

Carl “Donald” Beasley, 94, a lifelong resident of Ilwaco, passed away September 25, 2021. Don was born January 21, 1927 in Ilwaco to Sam and Ruth (Liukko) Beasley. He grew up in a third-generation fishing family and was one of the area’s original salmon charter fishermen, hauling sport fishermen in the summer on his dad’s gillnet boat and commercial clam digging while still in school. He joined the Navy right after High School during WWII and as a military reservist was called up to recommission mothballed aircraft carriers for the Korean War. He worked as a logger for a few years using an arm-strong powered crosscut “misery whip” to fall timber on Naselle Ridge. In 1947 he married his high school sweetheart, Nellie Beasley (Hanselman). In later years traveling became an exciting annual event that spanned from Alaska to the Caribbean on cruise ships, through the Panama Canal, to Nova Scotia, or on bus tours of the east coast. Many travels were enhanced by friends from the local area that made the trips happy occasions. Fishing was a large part of his early years as one of the last horse seiners on the lower Columbia River, gillnetting for Keystone Cannery, and fishing for tuna and crab on the F/V Marlys, F/V Mermaid, and F/V Nord often helping his friends out. In 1959 he began working for the PUD, eventually becoming a lineman, and often being called to work during large family holiday dinners to repair power lines, and then retiring after 30 years. Don enjoyed, elk hunting, locally where he bagged a huge 7-point bull elk that registered #40 in the Boone & Crocket Records Book. He fished for salmon and sturgeon on the Columbia with friends. He loved clam digging, reading, solving word puzzles, picking wild blackberries in secret patches, and spending time with family and friends playing cribbage, pinochle, and dominos. He enjoyed going to local high school sporting events whether at home or away. Don was community oriented serving Ilwaco in many ways: contributing 30 years, of his family’s 140 years of service to the Ilwaco Volunteer Fire Department achieving Assistant Chief. He was also a member of the Ilwaco Library Board and a City Councilman during formative changes to the community: when the Ilwaco sewer system was upgraded, adding Seaview, and when the Port of Ilwaco was expanded to 1,000 moorings. Don was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, uncle and friend that was loved by his family and the community. He is survived by his son Dale Beasley (Edie) of Ilwaco; grandchildren, Jennifer Beasley (Uwe Hermes) of Portland, OR and Stacey Beasley (Francisco Garcia Ortiz) Yakima, WA; and great-grandchildren Mika of Yakima and Peyton, and ReeseAline of Portland. Don was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 68 years, Nellie (2016) and brothers, Steven and Robert Beasley. Memorials are suggested to the Ilwaco Fire Department (POB 584, Ilwaco, WA 98624) or any other organization of your choice. Watch: https://tinyurl.com/8e6fymer