1951-2020
Celebration of Life
Rust Park
Saturday, September 19, 2020
2-4 pm
This fuzzy picture was from our Seattle bar crawl celebrating a birthday about 25 years ago.
Don
and Beth
moved to Ruston shortly before we did in the early 1980's. They built Don's Ruston Market into a community hub where thousands found joy at the old fashioned soda fountain and in their good company. Don served 35 years on the Ruston Fire Department before retiring as chief in 2019. After hearing from so many who knew him, these are my thoughts so far on this incredible man and his legacy to our community and beyond. _____________________________________
There once lived a man. God, did that man LIVE! Don jumped into life with gusto. Embraced it. Gave it all that he had. Some say he seemed immortal; so great was his impact, energy and strength. He was passionate, giving, caring, smart, opinionated, strong, stubborn. And gone much, much too soon.
He never knew his full legacy. None of us will ever know how many hundreds of lives he touched. He held the neighbors bleeding son who was dying from a gunshot; keeping him alive till paramedics arrived. He was the first at the door when the house burned or a child screamed in pain. He knew our names. He offered hope and comfort in crisis.
He coached his kid’s baseball teams. He trained fire fighters. He mentored neighborhood kids. He made music and touched souls. He and Beth built our community’s heart; not just a welcoming physical space but a second home in which to gather and connect. People came from miles just to sit and enjoy the sense of belonging. And debate to their heart’s content.
He had the vision of an entrepreneur. Always dreaming, building, moving from adventure to adventure. He had the energy of men half his age, tempered with wisdom beyond his years. He gave more in his 69 years than most give in a hundred. Committed to his family and his town. He loved us fiercely and we loved him back.
Beth, you were his balance and his soulmate. It has been a joy to walk with you both, to work together loving this town, to learn how to grow up and now grow old as neighbors and friends. Thank you sharing him with us and for all that you have given us. We grieve with you. We wish you had been given more time.
We are better people for having known him. We are a stronger community because of his gifts. His legacy lives on in us and the generations he touched. If we walk even just a little bit like he did, oh what a difference we’d make in this world! I pray we honor his memory by doing just that.
