Orlin L. Donhowe Jr.

Orlin L. “Lynn” Donhowe, Jr. was born in Rockwell City, Iowa, on April 20, 1926 the first-born son of Orlin L Donhowe, Sr. and Mildred Hemness Donhowe, who had met and married in their hometown in Story City, Iowa.

Orlin “Lynn” grew up in Logansport, Indiana with his older sister Dorcas and his younger brother Jim, and graduated from Logansport High School in May 1944. The Dohowes’ are a musical family and Orlin participated in many chorus groups and religious choral groups. He also played first-chair French Horn in the Logansport High School orchestra and band. He later studied musical performance while in Chicago as a voice student of David Austin, a well-known Basso soloist and professor at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago.

During high school, Orlin was a part-time staff member of the Logansport and Cass County YMCA, working with day camp and residence camp, Y building supervision, and the Teen Canteen. During this time Orlin decided on the YMCA as a professional career.

Following high school Orlin enlisted in the US Marines (as his father had in WWI) with assignments in Parris Island, South Carolina, Camp LeJuene in North Carolina, Camp Pendleton in California, Hawaii, Guam, and Tsingtao in Northern China. After his discharge from the US Marines, he returned to his parents’ home in Bloomington, Illinois and was Youth Director for the Bloomington YMCA before returning to Chicago to George Williams College to prepare for a career in the Young Men’s Christian Association. While in Bloomington he met and later married Marguerite “Margy” Campbell, the Teenage Director of the Bloomington, Illinois YWCA, and later the Teenage Director of the Milwaukee, Wisconsin YWCA. Orlin and Margy were married on August 14, 1948 in Streator, Illinois.

While in George Williams College, Orlin served as President of the College Association of Faculty and Students and spent two summers on the staff of YMCA Camp Manito-Wish in Northern Wisconsin as Riding Masters and Director of Counselors in Training, and one year at George Williams College Camp in William Bay, WI as Program Director.

Following graduation he followed a YMCA local, Area, and National and International career in Chicago, Omaha, Denver, Topeka, Spokane, New York City and the Bay Area of California. In 1981 he and Margy founded ENDOW Inc., serving for more than 28 years as Financial Development Counsel to more than 72 Capital, Endowment and Annual campaigns with non-profit organizations in 15 states.

In 2000 Lynn and Margy moved from Estes Park, Colorado back to the Inland Northwest to their home in Northern Idaho and with their business in Spokane, Washington where he counseled with the YMCA of the Inland Northwest on their Endowment Development Program.

Orlin was noted for his quick wit and his saving sense of humor. He was also a baritone soloist and a strong leader in Presbyterian, UCC and Lutheran Churches. He also has a life-long interest in raising tri-colored collies and registered American Saddle-bred horses.

Orlin’s ashes will be interred in the Presbyterian Church Columbarium in Estes Park, Colorado next to Margy’s, overlooking the Rocky Mountain and the Continental Divide, not far from where they had lived for many years.

Orlin was preceded in death by his parents, his wife of 60+ years, Marguerite, his son Lawrence and brother Jim Donhowe. His survivors include his son David, granddaughter Katie Smith and sister Dorcas Kuns or Colorado Springs, Colorado and a host of nephews and nieces.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, July 20th at 10:00 AM at Shepherd of the Mountains Lutheran Church followed by an inurnment at 11:00 AM at Presbyterian Community Church of the Rockies. Memorial gifts may be made to the Endowment Development Fund of the YMCA of the Inland Northwest or to the St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Spokane.