Obituary: John Harold Lundell

John Harold Lundell

John Harold Lundell

“Life is a team sport played in many different arenas.” It involves tremendous support from, and to, family, friends, church and community.   

John Harold Lundell was a life-long resident of The Dalles, and he invested his time and talents in those many different arenas, which included the plumbing contractor business he built with his father, service to the City of The Dalles as councilman and mayor, and his passions for music and local history.  He exemplified kindness and service above self. He loved his wife, Donna, who passed away unexpectedly in 2008, his children Kim (Dan Boldt) and Chris (Charlie Houmard), granddaughters Elise (Nat Woodsmith) and Alexa (Garrett Schmidt), great-granddaughter Fern Woodsmith, sister Marilyn Urness, the Oregon Ducks, fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, Twinkies, and anything by Ludwig van Beethoven.

He felt blessed in so many ways!  And he was very modest about his accomplishments – among them: in the 1953 Oregon High School Basketball Tournament he was named to the First Team All-State and had the most points scored in the tournament; he was instrumental in the preservation and transportation of the Anderson homestead to the Fort Dalles Museum complex; he was awarded  The Dalles’ Community Service award; he served the Oregon Mayors Association as president; he was appointed to the Historic Columbia River Highway Advisory Committee;  he was the Cherry Festival Grand Marshall with his Cherry Sweetheart granddaughter Alexa; he was chosen as Wasco County Pioneer Man of the Year; and he had three published books on local history.

John was born October 23, 1935, to Harold and Beulah (Davis) Lundell in The Dalles, where he graduated from high school in 1953.  He graduated from the University of Oregon, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta, in 1957.  Married his childhood sweetheart, Donna Lee, in 1955.  They were married 53 wonderful years! He passed away in his sleep on June 13, 2021.  At this time, due to COVID, there are no plans for a public memorial service. The family will have a private burial service, and thanks the staff at The Springs at Mill Creek memory care unit and Heart of Hospice for their kindness and care.  If you would like to honor John’s memory, donations to the Zion Lutheran Trust Fund, the Discovery Center, or Fort Dalles Museum would be lovingly appreciated.

We will always cherish his memory in our hearts.  Please remember John, with a smile, whenever you hear something by Beethoven!