Obituary of Donn Sydney Viker

Donn Sydney Viker “Syd”, 82, died peacefully Sunday July 30, 2023, in Meridian, Idaho of natural causes. Syd was born in Ada, Minnesota on August 13, 1940, to Don and Leone Viker. He had two older siblings, Dean and Marion and two younger siblings, Carter and Dona. His early years were spent on the family farm in Halstad, Minnesota. As a child, Syd was extremely shy, but overcame his shyness later in life, which anyone who ever met and knew him would agree to. Times were tough in the years during and after World War II, so Syd and his siblings all had to work hard. Tragedy struck when Syd lost his father as a teenager. Syd and his younger siblings moved to Southern California with their mother and lived in San Diego and Torrance for a few years, eventually moving back to the Midwest. When he was 17 and attending Central High School in Fargo, North Dakota, Syd left to join the U. S. Marine Corps. After boot camp at Camp Pendleton in San Diego, California, he was stationed in Okinawa, Japan the remainder of his enlistment as a heavy equipment operator. The Marines proved to be a turning point in Syd’s life, and he was a proud member of the Corps.

After leaving the service, Syd travelled around the U.S. for a while, before returning to Minnesota, where he met and married Shirley Tiede. Syd and Shirley began their life together in Moorhead, Minnesota and then moved to Fargo for a couple of years, where Syd was a delivery driver for UPS. They welcomed their two children during this time, daughter, Julie (Means) and son, Morgan. The family eventually settled in Hawley, Minnesota. Shortly after moving to Hawley, Syd began his career as a long-haul truck driver, traversing the United States, first for ITT Trucking and then for Steiger Tractor. Syd loved the open road and eventually visited all 50 U.S. states, driving millions of miles without incident.

In 1984, Syd and Shirley migrated west to Boise, Idaho, where Syd continued as a truck driver for a few different companies until his retirement from Matheson Trucking. After his marriage ended, Syd married Hazel “Jeannie” Rasmussen (Uhrich) and they built a home together in West Boise. They were together until Jeannie’s death in 2013. Later in life, Syd met Jill Maus, who remained his loving longtime companion until her passing in 2022.

Syd had many hobbies he enjoyed during his life, most of which involved being outdoors. He was an avid hunter, fisherman, golfer, gardener, camper and motorcyclist. He liked new adventures, including skydiving when he was in his sixties. Many of these activities he enjoyed doing with friends and family, where he could tell stories and have a good laugh.

Syd is survived by his sister, Marion Forster-Colbert; daughter, Julie Means; son, Morgan Viker; daughter-in-law, Teresa Viker; grandchildren: Joshua Means, Jessica Means, and Braeden Viker, all of whom he was extremely proud.

A special thank you to Horizon Hospice and to Veranda Senior Living at Paramount for the care and compassion they provided to Syd.

Committal service with military honors will be held at 2:00 PM on Monday, August 14^th at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Boise VA, the Marine Corps Association Foundation, or a charity of your choice.