When Three Becomes Two
Donation protected
After fighting a tremendous battle, our beloved, Don Greenwalt, succumbed to neuroblastoma on March 19, 2020 at 11:03am. He was surrounded by family, both blood and choice, for Jenni, Meg and I (Chris) were there holding his hand. He died peacefully, without pain or discomfort. He had battled on tirelessly for 13 months, but in the end Hospice of the Valley helped us care for him at home, giving him a death with dignity and comfort (in lieu of flowers, food items, prayer cards, and/or personal visits, please donate to this Go Fund Me OR to this amazing end of life organization, who were right there for us during the darkest part of our journey).
Let me tell you a little about Don. 24 years ago the most unlikely pairing was made, a "tree hugging, big haired city girl" from New York, and a "tow headed desert rat" from the frontiers of Arizona, with so little in common it's amazing we survived our first date. The years weren't easy for either of us individually or as a married couple, but again and again, we surmounted adversity, to nestle back into each others embrace every night.
Don's ability to accept and embrace diversity opened a beautiful door for Jenni to pass through when the time was right, and she became number 3 in a long'ish list of family of choice members. Don was a father to many fine children, passing along his legacy of hard work, integrity and the value of family. Even now, we feel embraced by Denie, Michael, Megan and David, knowing we will always be apart of House Greenwalt. Don's grandson, Magnus, was the apple of his eye, and is being taught values established by his Grandpa, so he never forgets where he comes from. Providing help to families in need was a passion shared by Donnie as he worked for Open Hearts non-profit. His work family meant a lot to him, as the organization was as selfless as he was. An Arizona baby born and bred, he was a proud Harley guy, and he rode frequently alongside Dan Greenwalt (blood brother) and Chris Workman (warrior brother), some of the best of Don's friends. Don was a highly trained, degreed black belt in martial arts. His Kung Fu buddies are a tight knit family of choice that meant the world to him. A passionate outdoorsman, hunting and shooting on family land was something he looked forward to doing in his retirement. So, his ashes was sprinkled there and a plaque hung in his honor in the mountains north of Flagstaff.
Whenever I face adversity now, I ask myself how my husband would have handled things. And the answer is always the same, with calm, with strength and with love. The Tao (The Way) of Don brings me my own type of radical acceptance, I hope it makes you smile when you remember him, too.
Let me tell you a little about Don. 24 years ago the most unlikely pairing was made, a "tree hugging, big haired city girl" from New York, and a "tow headed desert rat" from the frontiers of Arizona, with so little in common it's amazing we survived our first date. The years weren't easy for either of us individually or as a married couple, but again and again, we surmounted adversity, to nestle back into each others embrace every night.
Don's ability to accept and embrace diversity opened a beautiful door for Jenni to pass through when the time was right, and she became number 3 in a long'ish list of family of choice members. Don was a father to many fine children, passing along his legacy of hard work, integrity and the value of family. Even now, we feel embraced by Denie, Michael, Megan and David, knowing we will always be apart of House Greenwalt. Don's grandson, Magnus, was the apple of his eye, and is being taught values established by his Grandpa, so he never forgets where he comes from. Providing help to families in need was a passion shared by Donnie as he worked for Open Hearts non-profit. His work family meant a lot to him, as the organization was as selfless as he was. An Arizona baby born and bred, he was a proud Harley guy, and he rode frequently alongside Dan Greenwalt (blood brother) and Chris Workman (warrior brother), some of the best of Don's friends. Don was a highly trained, degreed black belt in martial arts. His Kung Fu buddies are a tight knit family of choice that meant the world to him. A passionate outdoorsman, hunting and shooting on family land was something he looked forward to doing in his retirement. So, his ashes was sprinkled there and a plaque hung in his honor in the mountains north of Flagstaff.
Whenever I face adversity now, I ask myself how my husband would have handled things. And the answer is always the same, with calm, with strength and with love. The Tao (The Way) of Don brings me my own type of radical acceptance, I hope it makes you smile when you remember him, too.
Organizer
Chris N
Organizer
Phoenix, AZ
