Don Burnell Whipple

     Don Burnell Whipple passed away peacefully on Friday, August 7, 2026, while napping on his outdoor couch swing at his home in Nampa, Idaho. He spent his last morning working around his yard, which is shaded by large poplar trees that he planted decades ago. He was 84 years old.

     Don was born on April 4, 1942, in Ely, Nevada, to Luella and Laverne Whipple. The youngest of 5 children, he was raised in the small ranching town of Lund, Nevada, where he rode horses and tended the family’s sheep. After graduating as valedictorian from the combined K-12 Lund School, Don moved to Boise, Idaho, where he married Linda Purvis. The young couple soon settled in Nampa, Idaho, where they raised their 6 children.

    Don was a dedicated father who could fix anything and enjoyed working with his hands. He showed his love by, among other things, resurrecting and repairing old motorcycles for his children to ride, building a 25-foot-tall swing set in the backyard, and crafting wooden hope chests as Christmas gifts. He lived the motto "use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without" and was constantly fixing old cars and repairing things around his home and for his children, even after they left home. He loved horses, teaching his kids to ride, and more importantly, to always get back on a horse that throws you. Don enjoyed hiking, riding bikes, and playing with his children and grandchildren, which he did right up until he died.

     He loved the Gospel of Jesus Christ, avidly reading and teaching the Word of God to anyone who would listen. He was active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and would often attend the Boise and Meridian, Idaho, temples. Later in life, he became interested in genealogy. His love and passion were temple and family history work, laboring to join his family lineage to over 8000 relatives. His testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel was the rock on which he built his life.

A scripture that easily comes to mind as his children think of Don is:

"… we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies so that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."

2 Nephi 25:26

He was preceded in death by his parents and all of his siblings, including his sister, Evelyn McNees, and his brothers, Dean, John Laverne, and James. He is survived by his children: Matthew, Michael, Janette, Nancy, David ("Enzo"), and Suzanne, and his two horses, Shasta and Red.