In his early childhood, his family lived in various places in the Willamette Valley. During the time he lived in Scott’s Mills, Oregon, Donald rode a horse to grade school. In 1935 the family moved to Eugene, Oregon, when Donald’s father joined the Oregon State Police. In 1939 the family moved to Bend, Oregon where Donald graduated from Bend High School. As a young man, like so many others, Donald worked in the sawmills in Bend.
In 1949, Donald graduated from the University of Portland with a degree in Business Administration. After graduation he worked in Redmond, Oregon for Consolidated Freightways and taught accounting classes at the local community college, now COCC.
Donald’s accounting career was interrupted when he enlisted in the Army and served in the Adjunct General’s Corp. He was assigned to duty with the Atomic Energy Commission at the Joint Task Force Seven Group at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory in New Mexico.
After his Army service Donald changed his career path. In 1961, he earned a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Oregon. He taught briefly in California, then returned to the Eugene area where he taught elementary education for the Eugene School District for the remainder of his career. He loved teaching and his one regret was retiring “too early”. Donald was a member of the OEA and the NEA, and after his retirement participated in the OEA’s Australian and New Zealand Teacher’s study exchange programs, which combined two of his passions, education and travel.
Donald was an avid traveller. As a youth he traveled with his family to Mexico to visit family who managed a sliver mine in Chihuahua. His first major solo trip was the infamous Six Week Trip with a Seven Foot Ticket, across the U.S. on a Trailways bus! Many other trips around the U.S. and Canada followed as well as to the UK, Europe, Australia, NZ, and the Pacific Islands. He developed enduring friendships in many of these places, especially in Scotland. In the last month of his life he was still up for traveling. He went to the Oregon Coast to escape the deadly record heat wave, and his response the next week when asked if he’d like to ride over to Tumalo to help deliver a rooster to his sister was, “Why not?” When he wasn’t traveling he was reading, and in his later years books and pets were a great solace. He loved to read, and encouraging others to read. Everyone on his gift list could always count on a book. Donald also loved the symphony, opera, and theater. He was an accomplished cook and loved to throw dinner parties where the flowing gin and scotch enhanced his dry sense of humor.
In 2016 Donald moved to Portland. He enjoyed returning to his early childhood neighborhood where he quickly became known as Uncle Donald to many new friends and neighbors.
Donald was an organ donor and encouraged others to sign up. He generously supported many different causes. The family suggests remembrances in his name to any charity that supports Meals on Wheels, education, the arts, or animals.
When it is safe to gather, several memorial services and gatherings will be held at Willamette National Cemetery, Scott’s Mills/Mt. Angel, Oregon and Kinghorn, Scotland.
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