Don died October 13, 2023. He was born May 28, 1941, in Yakima, Washington, and graduated from Yakima H.S. and received his bachelor's from Central Washing College in 1964 and his doctorate in dentistry from the University of Washington in 1969. He served in the Army at Fort Sam Houston 1969-72 and was discharged as a Captain. He followed that with post-doc training at the Univ. of Washington School of Dentistry 1972-75.

Don conducted a private practice in periodontics for 15 years in Wenatchee. After closing his practice in 1990, he served 15 years as a free-lance dental educator, teaching surgical and diagnostic skills at all major North American dental meetings. Don is an accomplished mountain climber and has led climbs on most of the major mountains in Washington States, California, Colorado, and the Alps in Switzerland. Don jumped at NCSB 1959-62 and 1964.