Long-time Wenatchee Valley orchardist, Lyle Albert Sheldon, age 86, died peacefully after years of heart problems on December 26, 2009, in Central Washington Hospital. He was born February 15, 1923, to Albert and Millie (Marsh) Sheldon in Carlton, WA. Lyle graduated from Twisp High School in 1941, and attended Willamette University. He married Mary Faye Hopper on December 1, 1946, in Okanogan, WA. They lived in Phoenix, Omak and Los Angeles. They then returned to an orchard in Omak, WA in 1963, and in 1966, moved to their Rock Island orchard until retiring in East Wenatchee in 1993. Most recently, he was a resident at Bonaventure of East Wenatchee with his beloved dog, Sugar. Mr. Sheldon was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church of East Wenatchee and First United Methodist Church of Wenatchee. He was also an involved member of the community: The Civil Air Patrol in Okanogan and Phoenix, a board member of O&O Fruit Growers in Omak, a grower-member of Wenatchee and Peshastin Fruit (Blue Bird), a member of Washington State Horticulture Association, the Upper Columbia Steelheaders and the Mayflower Society. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and camping with the family. Mr. Sheldon's legacy is his role in forming local and state chapters of The Association for Retarded Children (now known as The Arc of Washington State) and his lobbying the legislature to provide and improve Special Education in public schools, which today benefits countless students in Washington.

He is survived by a daughter, Barbara (Sheldon) Evans, her husband, Bob Evans of East Wenatchee; two grandchildren, Scott Evans of Bakersfield, CA and Alicia Evans of Hawthorn, CA; a son, John Sheldon of Kirkland, WA; and a son, Walter Sheldon of Moses Lake, WA. He was preceded in death by his sister, Loraine (Sheldon) Kissling; and brothers, Harland and Alvin Sheldon. His wife, Faye (Hopper) Sheldon passed away in 1996; and his son John's wife, Margaret (Gardner) Sheldon passed away in 2002.

Special thanks and appreciation to the staff at Bonaventure of East Wenatchee, Dr. Morper, Dr. Murray, and the staff of Central Washington Hospital.

Services will be held at First United Methodist Church in Wenatchee on Thursday, December 31, 2009, at 1:30 p.m., followed by a reception at First United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to Special Olympics of Washington-Moses Lake, P.O. Box 1640, Richland, WA 99352-9998 or the Wenatchee Valley Senior Activity Center, 1312 Maple Street, Wenatchee, WA 98801. Lyle will be buried next to Faye in the Evergreen Memorial Park of East Wenatchee. Arrangements are by Jones & Jones~Betts Funeral Home, Wenatchee, WA. Please express your thoughts and memories on the online guestbook at jonesjonesbetts.com.