In the wee hours of Christmas Eve 2020, Don Donaldson left us to join the love of his life and wife of 62 years, Mildred, his son Richard, and granddaughter Casey. Born February 10, 1931 in Canada, Don was adopted by Tom and Helen Donaldson and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
As winters in Winnipeg can be rather brisk, Don and Mildred decided to look for a warmer area in which to raise their two boys. So in 1960, with a small hand-built trailer and a 1949 Oldsmobile, Don and Mildred packed up all their belongings, 4-year-old Don and 1-year-old Rick and traveled south. The search ended in Santa Barbara and young Don constantly thanked his parents for moving to paradise.
Life was not easy though. Don had an 8th grade education and no job prospects on arrival from Canada. He managed to find a position with Jewel Tea, a door-to-door grocery delivery company. After many years, he and Mildred took on the challenge of managing Flamingo Mobile Home Park which led to managing San Vicente Mobile Home Park where they worked until retirement.
Don enjoyed playing the jokester. Those who work at Mulligans Cafe, one of his favorite places to eat, call him Sprinkles. You see, Don loved going to restaurants and would order an Irish coffee with whipped cream and sprinkles on top. The restaurant workers would then look high and low only to tell Don they had no sprinkles. Don would then pout and look disappointed. When the Irish coffee arrived at the table, Don would slyly take out a little container and add his own sprinkles to the whipped cream. The waitress/waiter would see the sprinkles when they brought the food and wonder how they came to be. Mulligans Cafe now carries sprinkles.
Those of you still reading may remember Don was adopted. After a lot of research, at the age of 82, he found out his biological mother was Florence Marie Hamel. That information led to finding her children. It was Don’s true joy to meet and learn about the siblings he never knew. One of his sisters, Rose, even braved travels with Don after Mildred had passed. We can only imagine what a 28-day round trip voyage to Tahiti with Sprinkles would be like.
Travels with Mildred often included a motorhome. This was an upgrade from long trips taken to Canada with young boys, all sleeping in the station wagon. Don and Mildred even toured England, Scotland, and France in a motorhome. Don’s niece, Barb Chrisp, and her husband Dale often joined them on trips to Dodger spring training, Half Moon Bay, and Lake Almanor. Don traveled to Alaska with Dutch and Debbie Hoffmeister in a 22-foot Mini Winnie at the young age of 88. His most recent excursion was to Mount Rushmore with the McGonigle family of Sacramento.
For many years the motorhome took Don and Mildred to Falcon Lake, Manitoba. They bought a little cottage on the lake where they fished, fed deer by hand, and shooed ducks off the dock. Friends and family joined often. Don taught his grandsons, Sean and Jason, how to water ski and drive a boat. So many laughs, adventures, and great times were had at the little cottage by the Payne, Malazdrewicz, and Donaldson families.
Don was the quintessential immigrant. He came with little, worked hard, became a US citizen, and donated his time to help others. He loved to tell stories, some of them true. As many who knew Don have stories about him to tell, a celebration of life is planned when it is safe to gather. In the meantime Don, Karen, Sean and Jason encourage you to enjoy an Irish coffee, or hot chocolate, with sprinkles and give a toast to Don Donaldson.
