Donald Davis Paye, 79, passed away peacefully of natural causes on March 7, 2017, at Aegis Lodge in Kirkland, Washington. Born on February 14, 1938, in Keyser, West Virginia, he lived his childhood years in Cumberland, Maryland, with his parents, Dorothy and Albert Paye and his brothers Robert Paye and Richard Paye.

Don graduated in 1956 from Allegany High School, where he met his wife, Patricia Ann McGill, also a 1956 graduate. Don left Cumberland to attend the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado and graduated from the Academy in 1961. Following his graduation, he and Pat were married on June 6, 1961.

In 1972, after Don left active duty with the Air Force, he and his family relocated to Kennewick, Washington, where he worked in various positions for the federal government, including Westinghouse. While in the Tri-Cities, he was actively involved in and highly respected in professional organizations, such as the National Contract Management Association, and, also, in his church, the First United Methodist Church in Kennewick.

He remained in the Air Force Reserves, retiring as a Lt. Colonel in 1998. After Don retired, Pat and Don relocated to Anacortes, Washington, where they lived for many years. In recent years, health issues necessitated that they relocate to the Seattle area where Pat passed away in November 2015 and Don also spent his remaining years.

A beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Don is survived by his daughter, Amanda, his son, Andrew, and his two sons, Erik and Brandon, and Brandon's children, Alayna and Connor. His wishes were to be cremated and interned at Desert Lawn Memorial Park in Kennewick, Washington, where his wife also rests . . . .

(Based on an obituary published in the Tri-City Herald on Apr. 2, 2017)