Donald Arthur Van Walk passed away on August 14, 2020 of natural causes. He was born in Seattle, Washington on May 26, 1947 to Arthur and Grace Van Walk. Don spent his young childhood in Burns, Oregon before moving to Grants Pass, Oregon where he attended South Junior High and Grants Pass High School, graduating in 1965. A trombonist, he attended the University of Oregon, majoring in Music Education, graduating in 1969. First however, he married fellow music school student Melody Ann White and the couple had their first child Melissa in 1968. He acquired experience as a student teacher in Eugene, Oregon. His first professional teaching opportunity arrived in 1970 in Redmond, Oregon at both the junior high and high school. In 1972 Don began a 4-year run teaching all choral and instrumental music from first-grade through high school in the diminutive Prospect School District in southern Oregon. Son Kevin was born in May 1972. Don acquired his Masters of Music Education from the University of Oregon in 1975. In the summer of 1976 Don moved the family to Scio, Oregon where he became director of choir and bands at Scio High School for three years. In the 1979-80 school year Don began teaching elementary music in the Greater Albany Public School District in Albany, Oregon. Towards the end of his tenure, this included a return to middle and high school band instruction before his retirement from the Albany District in 1999. Following his retirement, Don taught instrumental instruction at The Conservatory for Music Education in Albany and continued teaching privately until his death.
In his earlier years, Don was an avid angler, fishing the various lakes, streams and ponds within the Willamette Valley and central Oregon, returning to the Crooked, and Deschutes Rivers on many occasions. He was an HO-scale model train aficionado and scale model builder for many years. His fishing and model hobbies were passed down to his son and later, to his grandchildren. He continued playing his trombone after retirement with a variety of community ensembles. He was an ardent supporter of Oregon Duck football. Don had a penchant for recounting stories and anecdotes related to his youth and college years which entertained family and friends at social and holiday gatherings. He was fascinated with meteorology and kept extensive logs of weather related minutia.
Don Van Walk is survived by his wife Melody of Albany; his sister Kathy of Salisbury, Maryland; son Kevin Van Walk and daughter-in-law Jemima Van Walk and grandsons Evan and Austin of Corvallis; daughter Melissa and son-in-law Scott Henderson and grandchildren Trenton and Hallie Henderson of Spring Hill, Tennessee.
Memorial services will be a private gathering with family only
Donald Arthur Van Walk passed away on August 14, 2020 of natural causes. He was born in Seattle, Washington on May 26, 1947 to Arthur and Grace Van Walk. Don spent his young childhood in Burns, Oregon before moving to Grants Pass, Oregon where he attended South Junior High and Grants Pass High School, graduating in 1965. A trombonist, he attended the University of Oregon, majoring in Music Education, graduating in 1969. First however, he married fellow music school student Melody Ann White and the couple had their first child Melissa in 1968. He acquired experience as a student teacher in Eugene, Oregon. His first professional teaching opportunity arrived in 1970 in Redmond, Oregon at both the junior high and high school. In 1972 Don began a 4-year run teaching all choral and instrumental music from first-grade through high school in the diminutive Prospect School District in southern Oregon. Son Kevin was born in May 1972. Don acquired his Masters of Music Education from the University of Oregon in 1975. In the summer of 1976 Don moved the family to Scio, Oregon where he became director of choir and bands at Scio High School for three years. In the 1979-80 school year Don began teaching elementary music in the Greater Albany Public School District in Albany, Oregon. Towards the end of his tenure, this included a return to middle and high school band instruction before his retirement from the Albany District in 1999. Following his retirement, Don taught instrumental instruction at The Conservatory for Music Education in Albany and continued teaching privately until his death.
In his earlier years, Don was an avid angler, fishing the various lakes, streams and ponds within the Willamette Valley and central Oregon, returning to the Crooked, and Deschutes Rivers on many occasions. He was an HO-scale model train aficionado and scale model builder for many years. His fishing and model hobbies were passed down to his son and later, to his grandchildren. He continued playing his trombone after retirement with a variety of community ensembles. He was an ardent supporter of Oregon Duck football. Don had a penchant for recounting stories and anecdotes related to his youth and college years which entertained family and friends at social and holiday gatherings. He was fascinated with meteorology and kept extensive logs of weather related minutia.
Don Van Walk is survived by his wife Melody of Albany; his sister Kathy of Salisbury, Maryland; son Kevin Van Walk and daughter-in-law Jemima Van Walk and grandsons Evan and Austin of Corvallis; daughter Melissa and son-in-law Scott Henderson and grandchildren Trenton and Hallie Henderson of Spring Hill, Tennessee.
Memorial services will be a private gathering with family only
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