Don's funeral mass and burial were officiated by Father Ivan of Newman Hall, Berkeley at Sunset View Mortuary in El Cerrito on the morning of June 11th. We wish we could have seen you all there. Due to Covid-19, we are posting video instead.
Funeral (1)
Funeral (2)
Burial
You are invited to tell a story, to share a moment, picture, video, whatever you would like to share about our beloved Don. Thank you in advance for helping us to celebrate the life of this extraordinary man we love so very much.
Such a sweet, sweet man, a gentle soul who was such a steady presence in my life for so many years of gathering weekly for deep reflection and thoughtful conversation. Many pictures in my mind of banquets, projects and laughter. May his loving spirit be ever present in your hearts and the Divine hold you in your sorrow.
A special cousin, friend, & a fun generous guy. Lots of good times, card games, a little beverage of choice & lots of laughter. We shared a trip from MN to San Diego in a van filled w/ friendship, Boundary Water canoe trips,& working as dishwashers in Yellowstone National Park-- memories of our time together. Don is watching us all and smiling with a butterfly on his shoulder. MISS YOU!
I loved seeing our daughter-in-law, Nathalia, interact with her Dad. A wonderful, loving, fun-loving Dad. And a the best kind of grandpa. Sweet, loving, and funny. So touching to see pictures of 2 year-old Francisco riding around on Don's lap in the wheel chair and even getting extra rides just for fun. Making all four of them giggle. A truly good man. His love lives on.
We were lucky enough to have Don & Marina visit us on their USA road trip. Enclosed is a foto of Don & me (Marty Gold) at our house with a salvaged Peace Corps Colombia sign. The sign used to be in the Bogota, Colombia PC office. I met Don in Fontibon, Bogota many years ago. A greay guy!
I had the bless knowing Don when He and my Aunt Marina met in Bogotá and I was a Kid. Since then he become one more member of our family. Such a great guy, very kind, with sense of humor and always with a smile to share. We lived many experiences and happy family moments. Lovely man. Gone too soon, we will miss you a lot. Best wishes and feelings of love from Colombia to our dear Marina, our cousins Natalia and Felipe, their sons and relatives. God bless You forever Don, We love You.
Dearest Marina and all your babies, thank you for sharing Don with us. What a warm, genuine, funny, loving soul he was. May your memories of him - all of them and especially from this sweet, difficult last few months - fill you with his spirit forever. We both love you all.
Marina and family Don and I literally grew up together. We are first cousins but way more than that. We went thru grade school high school and college together. Our parents farms were only a couple miles apart. Don is one of the finest people that planet earth has had and I will miss him dearly.
Querida Marina-Julia and I are so sad to hear that someone so incredibly good and kind has left us way too young. From afar we are thinking about you, Nathalia and Philip, their spouses and the grandkids. We’ve reminisced about our Peace Corps days with you two. Great memories - may those you made with Don over the years give you strength during this difficult time. Abrazos, Don & Julia
Don was such a beautiful gentle soul who embodied love & kindness. The following saying reminds me of him: "It is more important to be kind than right. Many times what people need is not a brilliant mind that speaks, but a special heart that listens." Don had that special heart. I feel so blessed to have known him. Love, Tahnee
Don was a warm,kind, positive and easy person. His conversations were fun and interesting. He lived plenty and enjoyed life, but more that anything, he loved his family intensely. That love allowed him to battle his cancer heroically How comforting to have Marina, Nathalia and Philip by his side before leaving. We will miss you Don!
Don and I worked together at Social Security for 20 years. He and his family rented our house in 1985 when we were away in Japan. Both our wives worked in or near Silicon Valley. I remember him as an easy-going, friendly and decent man. I'm very sad to hear of his illness and death. I wish I could have seen him before he died.
Don and I sat next to each other in our meditation group for many years. I remember his humble and quiet manner: he didn't speak much, but what he said was powerful. He always had an incredible warmth about him and a wonderful sense of humor. I learned so much from him. Knowing him has made me a better person. I will remember him with gratitude for the rest of my life.
Don was a very special man. So kind, generous, smart, modest, funny, gentle, loving and always engaged with everyone around him. We loved him so very much and know he will be missed by all. We are so sad he is not in our future. He lead a healthy lifestyle, traveled far and wide, surrounded himself with those he loved. We will miss him so. We are sending our deepest condolences.
I met Don when we were promoted to DQB at SSA and worked together for about 10 years. He was everything positive you could say about a person- kind, good sense of humor, helpful etc. He loved to talk about Marina, his kids and grandkids, their travels, and his family in Minnesota. I am blessed to have known him and will never forget him.
It's already two years after Don's passing and while I miss him dearly, I am grateful that he is often with me in my thoughts during the day and in my dreams at night.
God must have seen that I needed a Guardian Angel when She sent me Don Worms.
He has helped, and continues to help me become a better person.