James A. Donaldson

James A. Donaldson, 70, a resident of Gig Harbor, WA since 1994, died on February 15, 2020. James, better known as Jim to his family and friends, retired from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in 2012. Before he moved to Gig Harbor with his family, he lived in Fairfield, CA for 20 years and worked at Mare Island Shipyard in Vallejo, CA. He served in Vietnam from 1969 until 1975; where he met his wife, Anh Tuyet of Gig Harbor. Together they had three children: Mychael Donaldson of Gig Harbor, William Donaldson of Long Beach, CA, and Michelle (spouse Ricci) Frisk of Gig Harbor.

Jim was a devoted Catholic and member of St. Nicholas’ parish in Gig Harbor. He enjoyed playing cards, telling jokes, and was a natural handyman; making anything from model cars and Lego sets with his grandkids to craftsman dining room tables. He spent his career on the Navy shipyards, loving the intricacies of how things worked. But above all, he loved being a grandfather and father.

He is survived by his wife, Anh Tuyet; his son, Mychael Donaldson; his son William Donaldson; William’s children Emma and Ethan; his daughter Michelle Frisk; Michelle’s children Vivian, Dustin, Diana, and Chela; his brother. Timothy (spouse Rita) Donaldson (Newell, SD); his sister Judy Rose (Gig Harbor); His sister-in-law, Robin Donaldson (Bellingham, WA); His nephews Timothy D. Donaldson (Sturgis, SD), Andrew K. Schmidt (Austin, TX), and Sean T. Rose (Las Vegas, NV); his nieces Connie Griffin (Colorado Springs, CO), Sara Donaldson (Santa Rosa, CA), and Marissa Roybal (Bellingham, WA); and many great nephews and nieces. He was preceded in by his parents Lyle and Wavie Donaldson and his brother Daniel Donaldson.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in his name to the American Stroke Foundation https://americanstroke.org/.

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