In October we flew to Oregon for Don's Memorial Service http://vimeo.com/30118767. We, along with about 1,000 others, laughed and cried as we reminisced about Don's life. Don went to be with Jesus, 9/24 after struggling with cancer. Here's his obituary:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/statesmanjournal/obituary.aspx?n=donald-bubna&pid=153856729&fhid=8598. We were so thankful that we had an opportunity to see him exactly one month to the day before he died. We had scheduled a one day stop over just so we could see him on our way back to Alaska.
Don served as a pastor to several different congregations in his 40+ years of ministry. In addition, Don and I worked together for about 10 years. We coordinated the Internship Program at Alliance Theological Seminary (ATS). Each year Don would make several trips from his home in Salem, Oregon to the seminary in Nyack, NY. Together, we would conduct interviews, encourage robust, lengthy, challenging internships, and train mentors and interns with the skills they would need to have successful internships. Pictured above: an intern being led through The Maze, an interactive activity during the Internship Workshop at ATS.
Don was one of the most encouraging people I ever knew. He instituted encouragement cards at Salem Alliance Church, and was faithful in writing hand written encouragement notes to countless numbers of people. He was quick to see potential in people and often expressed that he believed in them.
Those trips were always a whirlwind of activity and connections. Don was the king of connections. He always connected people to each other. The time spent with Don was always intense (he had a very high energy level for someone his age) and meaningful. Don forever asked deep, challenging questions about life, goals and what God was teaching us. Pictured above: Don with his younger colleagues after the Internship Workshop.
Don with his bride, Dee, married 60 years! His love for his wife and family was always evident.
Our last visit with Don, 8/24, with wife, Dee, and grandson, Brian. Even in his weakened condition, Don had joy and amazing perspective.
Don's Memorial Service at Salem Alliance Church, 10/2. Don loved his garden so the foliage backdrop was very appropriate.
Don's son, Jeff, who is our friend and neighbor (10 minutes away) in Chugiak, AK made all of us laugh and cry as he shared from his heart about his father's life.
Don loved ice cream. After a memorable 2 hour memorial service (it would have been shorter and more interactive if Don was leading it!), we swapped stories about Don while eating ice cream, one of Don's favorite foods. In Don Bubna fashion, each person was given a handout (a tool Don often used in mentoring discussions) and was instructed to connect with someone they didn't know and share a memory about Don.
As the saying goes, "Behind every great man is a great woman." Here is a picture of Don's great woman, Dee, after a long and emotional day.
We always looked forward to connecting with Don at Red Lobster or having ice cream cones at Dairy Queen or McDonalds. We were blessed to learn so many valuable life lessons from Don. One of the most significant lessons has been learning how to do Biblical peacemaking and the importance of reconciliation. Don loved God and loved others. His love and care for pastors and the church was contagious. His heart for mentoring others was far reaching (interns, pastors, his family, neighbors, churches where he served, Peacemaker Ministries, etc.). A scholarship fund is being established at Alliance Theological Seminary in Nyack, NY for children of Alliance pastors and missionaries who are preparing for vocational ministry. For more information on the scholarship support, please contact the Nyack College Office of Advancement at 1.866.721.7946.
We grieve our loss of him, but not as those who have no hope.
Brett,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the beautiful tribute to my dad. It was wonderful to hear some more stories about him.
Lisa Bubna VanLeeuwen