Donald George Soose, 80, of Driggs, Idaho, passed away June 16 in Teton Valley Hospital, Idaho.

He was born Sept. 9 1929, in Pittsburgh, to George and Olive Soose.

Don was a butcher at a meat packing plant in his early years after he left school.

In 1946, he joined the Air Force, where he became a military policeman. While stationed in Arizona, he met and married Nadine Byrne. They were together for 60 years.

He served 28 years in the military. He was in the later part of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, where he was a control tower chief and guided airplanes to and from war by means of radar and verbal communication.

He also visited Europe and Asia and traveled through almost every state in the union with his family.

He was honorably discharged by the U.S. Air Force on Aug. 11, 1974, as a master sergeant.

He enjoyed fishing and hunting and accumulated quite a few trophies from bowling. He was a member of the Driggs American Legion. He enjoyed carpenter work and volunteered at the fire department for about five years.

He is survived by three sons, Rick of Tetonia, Idaho, and Alan and Tim, both of Driggs; siblings, Dolly (Krick), Gerald, Francis, Larry, Patty (McDougal) and Sherwood, all of Butler; a grandchild; and a great-grandchild.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Nadine; one sister, Virginia; and a brother, Duane.

<B>SOOSE</B> — A memorial service for Donald George Soose, who died Wednesday, June 16, 2010, will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at the North Main Street Church of God, Butler. A service and burial also were June 26 at the Darby Cemetery, Idaho.