Donald David Deadrick
04/09/1946 – 07/17/2023
An aggressive, metastatic adenocarcinoma started 4 months ago & kept going. Don said “that’s enough” when treatment was palliative only.
Don was born in Monterey CA & grew up between Pacific Grove CA and Wood River, Cottage Grove & E. Alton IL. He managed motels & worked at a Div. of Chris Craft in Monterey until 1970. In San Diego he trained to become a Licensed Dispensing Optician.
In 1977 Vikki moved to Santee CA & 2 years later they were married.
They moved to Anchorage AK in 1983 with their 2- & 5-year-old daughters. Vikki had family in Anchorage & their best friends had just moved there. Don started work at Alaskan Opticians & Vikki at CBS. Don later worked for Dr. Bancroft until they moved to Bellingham WA in 1993. Their daughters were 20 & 23 and a 3-year-old grandson) when they moved to Homer in 2001. Don was hired to work for Dr. Sitenga. In 2013 Dr. Bancroft convinced him to work at his Palmer Clinic. Then, in 2016, they sold their house, bought a motor home & drove with grandchild, now 17, to Spokane WA to get him settled near Vikki’s brother & nephews. In 2019, health issues caused the move back to Homer to retire. AK Native Tribal Health Consortium was & to the end, Don’s Saviors over these years.
Everyone would say, “Don is the best, ever Optician” from CA to AK to WA. He had a great sense of humor & friends would say “Poor Don” at the end of many funny stories.
Our daughters will always remember him while listening to Fleetwood Mac, Eagles or Dire Straits.
Don is survived by his wife Vikki, daughters Kajsa Spratley (Mark) of OR & Kari Mauzy AK, their grandchildren, Mylah Mauzy & Heather (Brett) Butler; his sisters Irene Deadrick OR & Ramona Schuller (Terry) WA; his brother-in-law Mike Collier, 5 nephews, numerous nieces, and Vikki’s large extended family of cousins, incl Kay Hautanen (Butch) & Shane in Anchorage.
They request in lieu of flowers, food, or visits, instead, to donate, in his name, to Hospice of Homer. The community of Homer has been exactly what we’ve always known & felt; present & heartfelt.
There will be no Service. Don’s cremains will wait until Vikki can join his & by boat be sprinkled into the Kenai River with calla lilies.
… … . Onward�� … … .