Donald Wayne “Donnie” Selvar, 47, died on March 20.

He was born on Oct. 12, 1960 and grew up in the City of Winslow on Bainbridge Island when it was still a small town that took care of its own.

In 1978, he obtained a certificate of completion from East Bremerton High School. After many different living situations and jobs, in 2001 Don settled into an adult family home in Renton, where he lived with other developmentally disabled adults and his two loving caretakers, Doug and Lisa Brown.

Don was proud of his job delivering freight at the Bank of America building in downtown Seattle, a position he obtained through the Northwest Center for the Retarded. He was also active in Special Olympics.

In June of 2007, he was diagnosed with leukemia. After the diagnosis, his sisters, caretakers, work supervisor and others fiercely guarded the quality of his life and tried to make the time he had left special. Don showed spirit and fortitude and a joy for life that inspired his doctors as he outlived their predictions by many months.

Don was preceded in death by his older brother, who died in infancy; his mother, Charlotte Callaham Selvar; his father John Selvar; his uncles, Carl West, Ed Callaham, Bill Selvar and Bob Wry; his aunt, Ethel (Mae Mae) Callaham Lukin; and his grandparents, Hayden and Marguerite Callaham and Dagney and Hoaken Selvar.

He is survived by his older sister, Cheryl Selvar and her partner Cori Mar; his younger sister, Jan Selvar and her daughter Alicia Hunsaker; aunts Jackie Callaham West and her two sons, Pris Callaham and her three children, and Bonnie Selvar and her children; his uncle, Warren Selvar and aunt Charlene and their children; and Pat Selvar Wry and her children.

Don loved a good party, so in his memory there will be a potluck at 2 p.m. April 12 at the Bainbridge Fire Hall, 8895 Madison Avenue. All who knew Don are invited.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Northwest Center for the Retarded, www.nwcenter.org, (206) 285-8140.