Don Michael Zabriskie, PhD, MDiv, passed away peacefully surrounded by loving family, on Thursday, February 7, 2019, at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Ontario. Don battled renal cancer for three years and went to be with his Heavenly Father just ten days shy of his 77th birthday. He was born February 17, 1942, in Fort Worth, Texas, to Jesse and Nelle Zabriskie. He was the oldest of three, with a younger sister and brother. Don earned many degrees, first of which was Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Vanderbilt University in 1963 in just three years. He met his first wife, Colleen, at Vanderbilt and they married in 1964. Don served in the Air Force during the Vietnam war until 1970, during which time his oldest daughter was born. He earned his Master of Divinity from Denver Seminary in 1974. While pursuing a Doctorate degree, he was blessed with his second daughter in 1977. Don graduated with a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Biola University in 1979. He became a clinical psychologist and practiced over 35 years before retiring in 2015. Don specialized with adolescents and helped many people through the years. He loved his career and through his passionate and caring heart touched many lives. He had an uncanny ability to reach people in a deep and positive way. Don married his best friend and love of his life, Susan Eileen, on April 2, 1988, and they spent 30 loving years together. With this marriage, he was blessed with two step-daughters and a step-son. His family became completely fulfilled with the birth of Don and Susan’s son in 1989. Don truly lived life to the fullest through simple pleasures, such as reading, playing guitar during worship, singing in the church choir, watching football, walking and talking with his wife, and spending time with family. Don is survived by his loving wife, Susan, two daughters, Jill (and Trent) Henson, Sarah (and Gabriel) Aguilar, two step-daughters, Jennifer (and Vince) Marsh, and Sarah Marsh, one step-son, Tim Marsh, and one son, Daniel Zabriskie, seven grandchildren, brothers-in-law, David, Steven (and Mary), and Richard Brown, his sister, Linda (and Frank) Gibbs, many nieces and nephews, including Janet Gates; he is preceded in death by his parents, Jesse and Nelle, his brother, Walter, and parents-in-law, David and Eileen Brown. Family, friends, and others whose lives Don touched are invited to his Celebration of Life on Monday, March 4, at 10:00 AM at Draper Memorial Chapel, 811 N. Mountain Ave., Ontario; following will be the Inurnment at 12:45 PM at Riverside National Cemetery, 22495 Van Buren Blvd., Riverside. Memorial contributions may be made to “Action To Cure Kidney Cancer”.
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