Coomes, Don Lee
February 10, 1936 - June 1, 2011
It is with great sadness that the family announces the passing of Don Coomes on June 1, 2011.
Don was born in Ashland Oregon, on February 10, 1936. As a youngster, his family moved to
Laurier, Washington, a small boarder town near Christina Lake B.C. In 1959, Don moved to Canada, married Chris and started his family.
He was an avid outdoor adventurer and gold miner. In 1963, he took his young family on the first mining excursion to the Klondike gold fields, they returned after one season. A short time later, he came to Granite City. It was there that he found the treasure cabin. In his words it was not a treasure, but a grub stake from one prospector, to another. He mined there, the Tulameen River, and other local creeks for several years.
In 1973 he returned to the Yukon, where he staked his beloved Ready Boullion Gulch. For twenty years, he lived every mans dream, hunting and fishing for gold. Life was, oh-so-good.
In 1983 his daughter joined in on the fun.
They would mine in the North for the summers and became Snowbirds in winter—heading south to Quartzsite, Arizona.
In 1992 Don sold his mining property and chased another dream. He bought a big, old fishing boat.
Only dad could find a way to live up creek,
downtown Vancouver.
In 1998 Don retired and moved back to Princeton to spend time with his family. His girls; Barb, Jill and Lori, and his grandchildren; David, Felicia and Derek.
The family will be returning Don to Granite City, where it all began.
On to yet another gold field. Good luck, good digging.
We love you Dad