Donald Bodda

Captain Donald Lee Bodda died peacefully in Dillion, Montana on October 4, 2018 at the age of 74 with family by his side. Captain Donald Bodda is survived by his wife, Gayle Bodda; children, Carol Bodda and Neif Bodda; Grandchildren Bobby Canfield, Donny Canfield, Bowan Bodda, Joshua Bodda, Caitlyn Bodda and Talen Bodda and 7 great grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his mother and father, Cliff and Melissa Bodda and his son, Frederik Bodda. Donald was born on October 23, 1943 in Toledo, WA to Cliff and Melissa Bodda. As a young child he moved to Alaska and Donald remembers his father giving him a shot gun, a small boat and 2 cans of Dennison soup and told him if you are going to make it, you are going to be tough. This is when Donald’s love for the outdoors began. He was an avid hunter, trapper and fisherman, always with ties to Alaska. Donald and his family left Alaska in 1974 to live on a small farm in Chehalis, Washington until they sold the farm in 1999 to move to Sheridan, Montana. Donald served in the US Navy, which eventually let him to his career as a Captain in the Merchant Marines, where he had extensive knowledge of the waters of the west coast and ports as far as Point Barrow, Alaska and the South Pacific. After retiring from the marine industry he helped his wife and son start a business, B & B Chinking, in 2000 and had this business for 12 years. Donald became a Mason in 1983 and was an active member of the Chehalis Masonic Lodge #28. He became a member of the Dillon Masonic Lodge #16 when he moved to Montana. He served proudly for two years as the President of the Southern Montana Shriner Club. Donald received the 100 Million Dollar Club award in January 2018 for his work on the Shriners Hospital Awareness Program. Donald was a very committed Mason and Shriner and this was the basis of his spiritual beliefs. At the request of Donald, he will be cremated, and a memorial will be held in the spring in Dillon, Montana.