Obituary of Donald Lawrence Lendahl

Donald Lawrence Lendahl Jr. (Don), 60, passed away in Ione, CA on April 16, 2024, after being diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of T-Cell Lymphoma cancer in September 2023.

Don was born in Oak Knoll Naval Hospital in Oakland, CA to Donald Sr. and Patricia Lendahl on January 16, 1964. Don was raised with his younger sister Kimberly Clark (Lendahl) in Newark.

Don’s fondest memories as a child were spending time with his family, cousins, aunts, and uncles and many, many friends. He graduated from Newark Memorial High School in 1982 and served 4 years in the US Navy. At an early age, his grandfather taught him how to fish and that carried on with him all his life. Don trained and competed as a body builder in his early twenties at Bob’s Gym in Fremont.

Don’s hobbies and passions throughout life included fishing, camping, bowling, riding motorcycles, karaoke, and dancing. Don’s road to the end included recovery from drug abuse in his thirties. He remained free from drugs for thirty years until his passing and learned many of life’s lessons from that journey. He was candid with friends and acquaintances about that past to be of assistance to anyone struggling with those issues. That experience, and the relationship and passing of his grandfather, led him to his faith in Christ. He was ready for his passing in the end since he knew that he would be with his Lord and Savior and that he would be free from the physical pain he experienced. Don was the first to admit he wasn’t perfect and was working on his shortcomings until the very end. He had a passion for life and found his true love and soulmate a year and a half before his death. He knew that such a journey needed God at the helm, and he continued to grow in his relationship with God until his last breath.

Don’s professional career was impressive as he worked as a Safety Manager for over 25 years on various projects throughout the Sacramento/Bay Area regions. Projects included the oversight of safety for several hospital expansions as well as government building projects. He was extremely proud of his accomplishments and his education journey.

Don acquired and kept many friends and was known to offer a helping hand to those he met in need of any sort of assistance. He loved helping people find that job, moving friends to new places and helped many with various projects.

Don is survived by his mother, Patricia (Patty) Lendahl; sister, Kimberly Clark (Lendahl) and her husband Jeff; his nephew Colton and niece Peyton; his sons, Joshua (Yeshua) and Jacob Lendahl; his stepdaughters Sierra Robinette (and her fiancé Richard Hartley), Cate and Ella McGloin; step-grandchildren Richard (Rally) and Remi Hartley; and his soulmate and life partner, Leslie Devaney. 

Don’s ashes will be spread privately by the family at Pinecrest, Stanislaus National Forest.

The family is currently planning a Celebration of Life at a northern California church to be determined in the next few months. To learn more about the details of that Celebration, note Don’s Facebook page. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) in Don’s name.

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