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I just found out myself and still have a hard time believing it.
We became pretty good friends over the last several years and spent many late nights talking and laughing on the phone. He was a fun loving guy and a pinball enthusiast like no other. It was always an adventure hopping in the truck and heading on up the hill to pay him a visit.
I was just thinking about calling him tonight before I found out the news.
RIP brother. See you on the other side.
Don could be a hard bargainer, but at the same time would be one of the most generous persons I ever met. I've lost track of the amount of games I purchased from him, but it amazed me the networking he had going on to bring in what he did. I can tell from this thread, it was bigger than what I had even thought.
From a HEP MM, to a HUO TFTC, my early dealings with Don helped make my collection more than I had thought possible when I first entered the hobby. He had a knack for finding top examples of even rare older games. I couldn't even begin to tell you what it was like each time going over there and seeing what he had acquired next. But I always did my best to bring one or more home. I've lost count how many. But he always made it worth my while.
We hit the woodrail bug about the same time and many of our talks resulted in him picking up choice examples of vintage machines I never thought I would even see. Don had style and he had class and knew what he wanted and how to get it. He once told me his goal was to own every pinball game there ever was. And he tried real hard.
I still have several machines I got from Don, and they are the keepers. He ran what I called the superstore. I still have all but one of these and several more.
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Quoted from doughslingers:He got the HUO TFTC from Black Rose. Can't believe he is gone. What a great guy!
Yes he did. And it along with that MM are still in good care with another friend of mine.
I had been out of touch with Don for the last few weeks as my elderly mother had a small stroke and taking care of her has consumed most of my time. However I did call and talk to him one last time the weekend before he passed away and I'm glad I did.
Driving to LA is never a pleasure when you live in OC. But going to Don's was an exception as it was always exciting and the culmination of many late night talks. Where many of my friends might have hung up on me because I was so hammered, he kept it going until neither one of us had anything more to say. Good times indeed. A couple times I didn't leave his place until the sun was coming up.
He made this hobby way more interesting than I think it was ever meant to be. I believe he did that with everything in life.
My only regret is we never got to go fishing together. We had big plans.
Check out this beauty I dragged home from Don's late one night. Needless to say he was always doing business. I'm sure there is plenty of unfinished business. Hope all that gets worked out.
Oh, and watching Nimblepin and Don running up the hill chasing after Cooper who was having a nap at the time was epic.
Quoted from roc-noc:The guy just died and you are worried about his collection?
As I knew Don very well, games were coming and going at an alarming rate, and some of the machines at his house at the time of his demise were not even his. Plus there was unfinished business with people who he was buying and selling games with and doing other business with, I'm sure a lot of which didn't have much of a paper trail.
As much as I loved the guy, I hope when the dust settles, those that were involved in a transaction will get taken care of. I myself am not concerned about pursuing a backglass that was to come my way as it is only a drop in the bucket when I look at the big picture.
He wasn't a flipper. He had an itchy buy it now trigger finger. And the rest of us did what we could by taking some out of there so he could still walk thru his house. 
Last I talked to him he said he was up to about 70 machines. It's going to be a lot of work to sort all that out I'm sure.
I don't know what else to say except usually, right now, we'd be talking on the phone laughing our asses off.
Quoted from Ericpinballfan:Odin any news on if he's being taken care of by a someone close?
I honestly don't know, but I'd imagine somebody is.I don't know or haven't been in contact with anybody in his family. I've been too busy taking care of my elderly mother and didn't find out about Don's passing until this thread started. I read in this thread that others are already looking to take care of Cooper.
Quoted from Ericpinballfan:Then it was the thought of the vultures picking and pecking at the collection he valued so much. The pins were his kids and family
Not really. To use Don's own words, which he said to me over and over again-
"Help me get rid of this shit!"
Quoted from roc-noc:Donny had mostly EMs and Woodrails left in the house.
As far as I know, those were all his and paid for as he hadn't brought in any more EMs for quite some time. I might be able to help find homes for some of them
As far as the newer games, DMDs and such, I'm not sure, but was told a couple were being babysit so he did not own them and also he sold a machine that was not his but another friends of ours and the owner has not been paid yet.
Don wasn't a frequent poster and only posted twice that I can remember. One of those threads has long been deleted I believe. But he followed the forum and the marketplace pretty regularly.
Quoted from limelime20:Anyone have any pictures of his collection ?
This is only a small sampling of the games that came and went in the time I knew Don.
https://pinside.com/pinball/community/pinsiders/terapin99/gameroom
I took quite a few pics while i was up there but the memory card I had them on got wiped recently. Not on purpose either.
Quoted from Concretehardt:This is how I picture Don's place in my minds eye, he always had games coming and going.
That's pretty much what the garage looked like. Packed. I found a couple from inside that were taken within the last year.
Edit- Sorry for the duplicates, but photo upload has gone bonkers and I can't edit out the extras.
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Quoted from Baiter:You're good... you're up to 4 of each pic.
I have no idea what's going on. I added a bunch of pics and it posted those again. Then they showed up in another post when I tried to edit it once again.
Mods, please help clean up this mess. 
Quoted from PNBLWZD:Odin I think I met you and nimblepin that night your truck was backed in to Don's garage picking up Poker Face.
I didn't get the Poker Face, but I remember you. He sold it to somebody else. Can't remember what I did bring home that night.
Who needs to go to Disneyland when we could go to Don's instead?
Quoted from Fred-Sanford:I sold Don a Big Deal last year & just talking to him I could tell he was good people ! Prayers sent to his family...
I have that Big Deal now, and we really enjoy it.
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