Dr. Don "Doc" A. Childress, Dc

Don Avron “Doc” Childress, 88, longtime Ellensburg resident and chiropractor, passed away on Sunday, January 19, 2020 at the Prestige Post Acute Care & Rehabilitation Center surrounded by his loving family. The family will greet friends during a drop-in reception from 1:00-4:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 25, 2021 at Johnston & Williams Funeral Home in Ellensburg with a military honors service to be conducted at 2:00 p.m.

Our one of a kind father was one of three children born at home to Johanna and Avron Childress in Chewelah, Washington on January 2, 1932.  He graduated Eastern Washington College of Education where he served as ASB President, excelled in track, was an athletic trainer and sang in the Glee Club.  He also petitioned Olympia for EWU’s Student Union Building.  However, the best and most important discovery at EWU was Geraldine Ross – Doc’s beautiful wife of 65 years.

After teaching for a couple of years, he was called to become a Doctor of Chiropractic, graduating from Logan Chiropractic College in St. Louis, Missouri where he also served as Student Council President.  Doc and Geraldine moved to Ellensburg in 1960 where Doc practiced as a chiropractor for 52 years.  He loved his patients.  Every day was filled with conversation, laughter, and “bone cracking” as some of his beloved patients would say.

His servant’s heart led him to participate in his church and many clubs throughout the valley including the First Lutheran Church, Ellensburg Noon Kiwanis, Kittitas County Field and Stream, Kittitas County Fair Board, Ellensburg Rodeo Posse, Kittitas County Veterans.

Doc was all about being outside.  Whether it was splicing hoses together, fixing fences, horseback riding, hunting or working cows with his son Dana or searching for “the Elusive Huckleberry” with his daughter Anneliese, he was there.  But he was also a true renaissance kind of guy.  He had a love for singing and performing in musicals with First Lutheran Church Choir, CWU, Leavenworth Summer Theater, Wenatchee Musical Theatre and Valley Musical Theatre, and the Yakima Warehouse Theatre as well.

Doc had one of the biggest hearts we know of whether it was taking care of patients even when they couldn’t afford it to nursing injured chickens, he was always trying to do the right and compassionate thing.  His laughter was iconic!  But above all, his family and his quiet Christian faith was the center of his life.

Doc was preceded in death by his mother, his father and his sister Betty Jo.  He is survived by his wife, Geraldine, son Dana (Kay) Childress and daughter Anneliese Childress all of Ellensburg; his brother Robert “Mick” Childress of Deer Park and Geraldine’s sister Joyce (Robert) Ward of Dallas, Texas. He is also survived by grandchildren Dayce Avron (Nicole) Childress of Chehalis; A.J. (Shayla) Winter of Wenatchee, Alisha (Rueben) Hollenbeck, Brandon Callahan and Cohen Callahan all of Denver and a host of cousins, nieces and nephews.

A couple of parting thoughts for you, Dad…For everything you were, for everything you weren’t, we, your family, loved you and always will. We all treasured our lives with you and we knew that we were “all in it together” for the long haul. So, for now, ‘til we meet again in the Great Hereafter… Happy Hunting, Dad….

“Weeping may come, remain for a night…But joy will paint the morning sky…” (Psalm 30:5)

Memorial contributions in Doc’s honor are suggested to the Valley Musical Theatre Microphone Fund, PO Box 1551, Ellensburg, Washington 98926.  Steward & Williams Funeral Home and Crematory of Ellensburg has been entrusted with caring for Doc’s family.  Online condolences may be left at www.steward-williams.com