Don Marlow

Don Marlow, age 86, of Grants Pass, died August 10, 2022 at home.

Don was born in Windham, Montana to Walter L and Eleanor L Marlow on November 23, 1935.
He was the eldest of four children. The family moved to Stanford, Montana where Don
attended school, and enjoyed hunting with his dad. He also enjoyed his summer jobs collecting
wild plants and herbs for a botanist and watching for wildfire in the watchtowers for the Forest
Service. At Stanford High school, Don played football and was all-state in basketball. After
graduating, Don attended Montana State University in Billings on a basketball scholarship. He
then met and married Karen Listoe of Westby, Montana, mother of his three eldest children,
Kari, Michael, and Joel.

The family relocated to Seattle, Washington where Don began working for the city’s engineering
department. In 1966, Don and Karen divorced and Don moved to Southern California with the
children. Don took a job as a project designer for V.T.N. Co., and subsequently obtained his civil
engineer and surveyor’s license. In 1971, Don married Sharon Johnson, with whom he had his
fourth child, Sari Joy. Don and Sharon later divorced.

After Joel graduated high school, Don made his dream of building homes for his family a reality
by overseeing the design and construction of daughter, Kari, and son-in-law, Garner’s first home.
This would be the first of six homes that Don built with the help of his children and son-in-law.
Together, they built three homes in California and three in Oregon, where he later retired. In
2005 he moved from Garden Grove, California to Grants Pass.

Don enjoyed Two Step country dancing, watching sports, and traveling to visit his children and
grandchildren. Don also enjoyed watching March Madness, listening to country music, and
getting the best possible gas mileage out of every vehicle he drove!

He is survived by his children Kari (Garner) Holmes of Lake Elsinore, California, Michael Marlow
of Gillette, Wyoming, Joel Marlow of Grants Pass and Sari Jekums of Irvine, California; sister
Diana Sparby of Shelton, Washington; brother Robert Marlow of Flathead Lake, Montana;
grandchildren: Britnee and Brooklin, daughters of Kari and Garner; Stephanie, Amanda, Ashley,
and Amy, daughters of Michael; Logan, Walter, Jonah, and Symantha, children of Joel; and 2
children from Sari; and great-grandchildren: Kingston, Hendrix, Monae, Marlow, Mavrick,
Monrow, Jacob, Angie, Layla, Jack, Chloe, Emma, Giada, Azula, Lennon, Sabrina, Perrin, and
Mieyhil; former spouses Karen Fielding of Seattle, Washington and Sharon Johnson of California.

He was preceded in death by parents Walter and Eleanor Marlow and sister Trudy Marlow (died
at age 15).

Don will be remembered as a strong, hard-working, loving father who put his children’s wellbeing
first and foremost, and who instilled in them a strong work ethic.