BOMBER MEMORIAL

DONALD DEAN "DON" SIEMENS ~ Class of 1967
August 15, 1949 - June 17, 2025



Donald Dean Siemens, age 75, passed on June 17, 2025, in Yakima, WA. He was born in Richland, WA on August 15, 1949, to Dan Harley Siemens ^Jr. and Lela Elevon Steel Siemens.

Don graduated with the Class of 1967 from Richland's Columbia High School.

He was diagnosed with kidney cancer in March 2024. Like so many others, he fought the good fight and thankfully is in in Heaven and completely well.

Hunting and fishing were his life. He even bagged two moose with his bow. Archery was his greatest joy, and he hunted with a bow as long as he could. He got to a point where he couldn't pull the bow back due to weakness so he switched to rifle hunting, and he got the two bears in Canada on a rifle hunt.

This is a funny story about the picture with him in a Navy outfit when he was older. Our grandson was in the Marines and was getting married wearing his dress blues. Don told him that he was going to wear his Navy uniform, too. Of course, he couldn't fit into his original one, but he bought one complete from head to toe and wore it to our grandson's wedding. Our grandson couldn't believe it! I think Don was the talk of the wedding, people thinking he actually was active duty at his age!

He was preceded in death by his mother, Lela Siemens, who passed away at the age of 83 in Richland, WA on December 22, 2012; and by his father, Dan Siemens, who passed away in College Place, WA at the age of 86 on November 8, 2013.

Don is survived by his wife of 47 years, Cathy Siemens; his sisters, Judy Siemens Jerman ('66) (Chuck Jerman '66) and Carole Siemens Valentine ('70); three daughters; ten grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

We all miss him immensely. He was the "rock" of our family.

Currently no service is planned.

Brookside Funeral Home is caring for the family.

Published on Legacy.com by Brookside Funeral Home and Crematory (Yakima) Moxee on June 18, 2025.

Express your thoughts and memories in the Online Guest Book.


Written by Don for the 40-Year Class Reunion in 2007:

I spent four years in the Navy on submarines after high school. Then, I worked for the Richland Fire Department for 15 years, the Walla Walla VA for about ten years, and several short term jobs. My wife and I both retired three years ago this September.

We have three daughters and nine grandkids with a 10th due in January.

We are enjoying retirement and are traveling quite a bit.

My wife enjoys selling stuff on E-Bay, and I split my time between fishing, bow hunting, and golf.


Written by Don about his military history:

DON SIEMENS SK2 (SS) U. S. Navy: September 1967 to July 1971. Served on the following submarines: USS Kamehameha SSBN 642, and on the USS Guardfish SSN 612. Both were stationed out of Pearl Harbor.

Bomber Memorial put together by Shirley COLLINGS Haskins ('66).