Obituary of Donald Maddux

The Rev. Donald Jess Maddux of Shelton died at home with his family on November 10 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Born August 27, 1938 in Longview to Delbert and Daisy (Slagle) Maddux, he grew up on the family’s small farm at the edge of Castle Rock. He graduated from Castle Rock High School, Lower Columbia College, and Oregon State University with a degree in agriculture. He had planned to teach agriculture but was called to ministry in the Episcopal Church. He helped found St. Matthew’s Church in Castle Rock, attended The General Seminary in New York, and was ordained a deacon in 1965 and priest in 1966. He served a two-year curacy at Ascension Church in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood, and spent close to two years as curate in a group of country parishes in Lincolnshire, England. Returning to the U.S. in 1968, he worked for the Washington State Welfare Department while starting mission churches, St. Nicholas Church in Tahuya and St. Hugh’s Church in Allyn before being appointed vicar at St. David of Wales Episcopal Church in Shelton. He served that church, which shortly became a parish, from 1970 to 2002, starting a third mission, St. Germain’s in Hoodsport, and initiating services in Spanish. During his active ministry, he taught liturgy and church history at the Diocesan School of Theology and served for a time as regional archdeacon to missions in Southwest Washington. He held two terms as president of Rural Workers Fellowship, a Episcopal and Anglican organization for rural and small-town clergy. In retirement, he founded Iglesia de San Juan at St. John’s Church in Olympia in 2004, serving Saint John / San Juan as associate for Hispanic ministry until 2020. He served as interim priest at St. Barnabas, Bainbridge Island, St. Paul, Bremerton, and St. John, Olympia, and was interim priest at St. Andrew’s, Aberdeen, from July 2021 until retiring again in March 2024. A lifelong interest in history and antiques led to a small antiques business, Very, Ltd, first with stalls in malls and then a shop on Railroad Avenue from 2006 to 2013. He loved gardening and trees, and delighted in re-establishing camas and native oaks on property on Cloquallum Creek, as well as planting redwoods and sequoias there under the aegis of Archangel Ancient Tree Archive and Propagation Nation. He also loved reading and travel, and especially enjoyed visits to friends in England and France. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Carolyn Maddux; son, Michael Maddux of San Diego; granddaughter Liana Maddux of San Diego; brother, Gale Maddux of Springfield, Oregon; a niece and nephew, and numerous cousins. A memorial service will be held at St. John / San Juan in Olympia at 11 a.m. Saturday, November 23. His family acknowledges with gratitude the kindness of Vista Oncology, Providence Hospice and the friends who assisted during his final illness. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to any of the churches he served, Episcopal Relief and Development, or to the Arbor Day Foundation or Propagation Nation.