Monday, December 22, 2008

Donald Faubian

Don Faubian died Thursday doing what he does best. Helping others. Every year when snow hit, Don would be out plowing not just his own driveway, but others as well. He was in the process of clearing the road for himself and neighbors when he got his ATV stuck in a snow bank. Struggling to get it out, He finally walked up to his home, where he called a friend to help. When the friend arrived, Don was dead. Most likely he had a heart attack which is not uncommon when heavy snow hits and we over exert ourselves.

Don was always helping others. Back about three or four years ago when I needed a ton of pellets for my stove, Don's reply was hop in (his pickup) we'll go get 'em. He then proceeded to help unload and stack them. He did so many selfless things that go unnoticed except to those that were helped. Don Faubian will be missed by many.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Herb, sorry to hear about Bayview's friend, Don. As someone who's had one heart attack and now with four coronary arterial stents I want to give you more info on shoveling snow/exertion as a cause. Often the shoveler is not dressed as warmly as they should be because of working up a sweat. The loss of body heat causes blood vessels to constrict, which if you have issues (known or unknown) with narrowing vessels and arteries can bring on a heart attack. So my advice to anyone of a certain age is to make sure you're wearing a hat, scarf and proper outerwear when shoveling. Stay warm, be safe.

Anonymous said...

We also know Don's generosity. Several years ago, Don plowed our driveway when we weren't looking. We hadn't asked. What a nice surprise to come out shovels in hand and see the work already done. And when he saw us moving wheelbarrows of soil one-by-one to the new garden bed a long steep way behind the house, Don offered to haul it for us with his 4-wheeler and trailer. We liked that he would sometimes drop by just to talk, and he liked it when we did likewise. More often, we'd see him riding by on his quad, would wave, he'd stop and we’d have a conversation in the road or in the driveway. Now and then we'd convince him to stay long enough for a cold beer on a hot day (not too difficult to do ;-). On rare occasion, Don and my husband would park in the deck chairs enjoying a warm summer night, glass of whiskey in hand, smoking cigars, laughing and "BSing."

Oh, Don's dinner parties were the best! Mouth-watering appetizers, delectable roast pork so tender it could be easily cut with a fork or maybe a whole salmon on a bed of wild rice surrounded by colorful crisp/tender vegetables, fresh homemade bread, homemade pies so exquisite you didn't want to destroy that work of art except you knew how good it would taste, and all perfectly presented. Besides the delicious meals, Don's dinners were known for good company and lots of laughs. Not only was he a master chef but a master storyteller, the kind who could and did make you laugh ‘til your face hurt.

Don was quite a man--world traveler, sportsman, cook, gardener; loving father, grandfather, and son who cared for his Momma in his home as she grew older. Don was strong, intelligent, kind, thoughtful and especially generous. Though our schedules didn't allow us to see him often, we looked forward to the times we did. We're happy to have known Don, and we too will miss him.

Services for Don Faubion will be Tuesday, December 30 at 2 PM, Yates Funeral Chapel, 373 East Hayden Avenue.