stiffler Posted February 8, 2009 Posted February 8, 2009 I have some sad news for friends and accquaintances of Don Gonthier, a Portland area climber. Don passed away this morning as the result of a brain tumor that was diagnosed last summer. Don instructed climbing classes at Clackamas Community College, on occasion at Mt Hood Community College, and was part owner of a small guide service for a while. His climbing career spanned a couple decades, and I could fill a forum with stories and memories, as I am sure a few others could as well. He was a good partner and a good friend, and I will miss him very much. Goodbye, Don, I love you, man. Quote
sobo Posted February 8, 2009 Posted February 8, 2009 Always sorry to hear of the passing of a kindred spirit. My condolences and deepest sympathies to his family and friends. Quote
ivan Posted February 8, 2009 Posted February 8, 2009 "wise king, do not grieve - for everyone one of us, living in this world means waiting for our end - let he who can achieve glory before death - when a warrior is gone, that will be his best and only bulwark" Â - Beowulf Quote
wayne Posted February 9, 2009 Posted February 9, 2009 Don was a solid guy, Heck sorry to hear this news Quote
Mtguide Posted February 9, 2009 Posted February 9, 2009 Very sorry to hear of Don's passing; I only met him a couple of times, but his personality left an indelible impression, warm, bright, and genuine. A truly fine person. My sincere condolences to his family and friends.  "Cattle die, Kindred die, Everyone dies.  But the good name Will never die Of one who has done well."  -Viking Proverb  Quote
Sherri Posted February 9, 2009 Posted February 9, 2009 Sounds like Don left a rich legacy of memories and teaching--sure to carry on his spirit through climbers of tomorrow. Sorry to hear of his passing. Quote
skotrox Posted February 9, 2009 Posted February 9, 2009 Don was a good friend of mine. A co-worker at first at a job we both hated, he accompanied me on my first climb of Mt. Hood. Later, with our mutual friend Rodney, we climbed all around Oregon, Washington, California and Idaho. Truly, some of the best days of my life were in the company of Don Gonthier. At my instigation, Don, Rod, me and our friend Liz, climbed and spent the night on the grassy ledges on Beacon Rock. One of the great nights of my life. I will never forget him. A friend of the family is passing funeral information on to me this week. They wanted me to post here and I was really moved to see it had already happened here by other people who loved him. Please watch this space for more info if you are so inclined. Don had mentioned people he knew from CCC (Olsons?) and I hope some of you are reading this now. We lost a good man too soon. Let's raise a glass or two to Don Gonthier. ----Scott K. Quote
nonanon Posted February 10, 2009 Posted February 10, 2009 I'm really sorry to hear this. I climbed with Don twice and ran into him here and there a few other times. Always glad to see him. He was a good guy and will be missed. My heart goes out to his family and close friends. Quote
ols Posted February 10, 2009 Posted February 10, 2009 This is sad to hear. We climbed with Don considerably many, many years ago. Met him again just last summer in the Gorge after all these years. He had recently finished his degree and had great objectives on the horizon with no indication that it would be otherwise. We have lost a valued friend. A good friendship lasts for a lifetime. My condolences to friends and family. Quote
billcoe Posted February 10, 2009 Posted February 10, 2009 Let's raise a glass or two to Don Gonthier. ----Scott K. Â Consider it raised. Warm regards to all my brothers breathing or not as all too soon, our turn will come to follow Don. Â How about a picture or 3 of Don? Quote
skotrox Posted February 10, 2009 Posted February 10, 2009 A memorial service for Don is scheduled for this Thursday, Feb. 12 at 2 P.M. at St John the Evangelist Episcopal Church 2036 SE Jefferson Street Milwaukie, OR 97222 Â A gathering celebrating Don's life is to follow after at Don's sister's house in Clackamas. Quote
skotrox Posted February 10, 2009 Posted February 10, 2009 I uploaded five photos of Don, but don't know how to let everyone reading see them. Never done this before. Any help? Quote
mkporwit Posted February 10, 2009 Posted February 10, 2009 Pretty simple -- people can click on your username, and a little drop-down menu appears. At the bottom is the option to "View Photos". Or they can follow this here linky Quote
Stefan Posted February 10, 2009 Posted February 10, 2009 Sounds like a good man. Glad many of you got to meet him. Quote
billcoe Posted February 11, 2009 Posted February 11, 2009 Here you go: Â Â Â Â Â Â Here they are. Thank you for the huge contribution! I never got to climb with Don, but I did with many people that he introduced to the game at Clackamas CC, including my current main partner Ujahn. They all, without exception, were very skilled for the amount of time they had been climbing, a testament to Dons skill as a teacher. Â Â Quote
nonanon Posted February 11, 2009 Posted February 11, 2009 Thanks for posting those guys. Â Wasn't that Don who had his picture in Climbing? The one where he was holding that melted rope he'd lost in the Snow Creek fire? That was a good story. Â Unfortunately there's no way I can make it to the memorial Thursday. Think I'll go get that glass to raise now... Â Â Â Quote
wayne Posted February 11, 2009 Posted February 11, 2009 Yes that was Don and another friend, Marty after they led dozens of people over Asgard and out of harms way . Quote
wayne Posted February 11, 2009 Posted February 11, 2009 Thanks for posting these pictures guys: Â Â Â Look at those eyes, That is the kind of person that you want to rope up with. Â Quote
sobo Posted February 11, 2009 Posted February 11, 2009 Peshastin Pinnacles, Martian Slab? Upper Diagonal Direct? Captain Pissgums? Anyone? Quote
ivan Posted February 11, 2009 Posted February 11, 2009 Â Look at those eyes, That is the kind of person that you want to rope up with. dude, look at that upper-lip! that's the kinda person you want a mustache-ride from! Quote
musky333 Posted February 11, 2009 Posted February 11, 2009 Ivan, if you can't say something decent about a fellow climber's passing, WHY DON'T YOU JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP ????!!!!!! Quote
pink Posted February 11, 2009 Posted February 11, 2009 lighten up dude, ivan is a stand up guy making light of a situation. Quote
Don's Family Posted February 11, 2009 Posted February 11, 2009 Hello, I'm Don's sister, Diane. Please know that Don's family has always known what a great guy he is and were never so proud of him as in the last six months when he battled brain cancer. Some of the same qualities that helped him maintain a positive outlook and to maintain his dry sense of humor I'm sure are some of the same qualities that helped him on his many adventures.  We're holding a service Thursday afternoon followed by a gathering at his sister, Donna's, house in Clackamas. We welcome his friends and would love to hear some of your memories.  We have some of the photos that were posted earlier. I heard a bit about the night on Beacon Rock just a few weeks ago. My Mom hated that Don climbed but understood his passion and tried not to worry. I think is was a year or two before he showed her the photo holding the burnt rope that appeared in Climbing(?) after the 1996 fires.  We put up a blog a couple of months ago to help keep family and friends informed. The church address is posted on the blog at http://climberdon.blogspot.com  If you'd like directions to the celebration of Don's life, please e-mail me at diane.gonthier@gmail.com  Don's family (Diane, Donna, John, Dolores, Joe, Mike and Brian) Quote
ivan Posted February 11, 2009 Posted February 11, 2009 (edited) Ivan, if you can't say something decent about a fellow climber's passing, WHY DON'T YOU JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP ????!!!!!! i never met don, but i know several people who knew him - based on them, and on the pictures of don, which show him always w/ a smile, i'm gonna assume he believed in life as an enjoyable, not a solemn, endeavor - if you knew him and thought i was crapping on his memory, i apologize - every wake i've ever attended was fun as hell, mostly b/c we spent all our time remembering the good shit about the guy who died and telling jokes - you must be very sad indeed at his passing if you can't enjoy a good old fashioned mustache joke! again, my condolences for those who knew him. Edited February 11, 2009 by ivan Quote
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