Don Case was born in Coos County, Oregon on November 21st, 1943 in the town of Marshfield. Marshfield no longer exists as it was assimilated by what is now Coos Bay. His mother, Pearl Anita Dick (1918-2000), married John Case on January 6, 1943 in Coos County, Oregon. Don was their only child and they divorced when he was quite young. His mother remarried to Jack Stacey McCullough on August 21, 1947 in Prineville, Crook Co., Oregon and had a son, John, Don's half brother. They then relocated to a ranch near the little town of Post, in Crook County, Oregon. Due to family issues, Don mostly raised himself, living alone in a small cabin with an outhouse from an early age, getting himself to school, fixing his own meals, working jobs for farmers to support himself and keeping his little cabin clean, etc. for many years in the Prineville area before attending Hill Military Academy in Portland, Oregon; the remaining few years of his education were taught in a strict military setting. Don was a big guy, doing quite well on the wrestling team while in school. He was close to his grandparents, however, and spoke of them fondly. After graduation, he went to work for Portland General Electric as a lineman, building many of the huge towers that brought power to outlying areas of Oregon and improving the power grid for the Willamette Valley and other locales, including crossing over the Cascade mountains. He married and had two children: a son, Peter, b.1967, and a daughter, Dawna, b.1969. He and his wife divorced and he never remarried. From early in his life, Don rode, built and raced motorcycles as a hobby and for transportation while in school; he eventually decided to make his living building and repairing motorcycles, Harley-Davidsons his specialty. His closet held many trophies from races in and thru out Oregon, as well as wrestling trophies from when he was in school. Don was not your "fair weather" rider -- Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall, Don rode his Harley whether in the rain, sun or even the snow unless the weather was bad enough that he had to drive his green El Camino (in later years he also bought himself a used white Cadillac, as his arthritis grew worse and worse). For countless years he lived to ride and attended runs thru out the United States, attending Sturgis a number of times and riding in "The Run For The Wall" with his friend, Warren, one memorable Memorial Day celebration in 2004. He had great admiration for Veterans and it bothered him that he couldn't serve our nation due to bowed legs from carrying loads that were too heavy for him when he was young, to earn money for necessities. Don rode in Alaska and coming back to Oregon thru Canada. He vacationed in the Cook Islands one year, learning how to snorkel and renting a bike so he could ride. He was a lifelong member of A.B.A.T.E. and lifetime member of Harley Owners Group. He was an independant rider who never drank when he rode and would often ride with friends on weekends and after work. For many years he both built and repaired motorcycles at A & J Motorcycles in SE Portland, Oregon, living in an old brick apartment in SE Portland, Oregon, with his bike occupying the garage. Customers would come from thru out Oregon to A & J's, knowing that Don could be trusted to repair their bike. He had customers who shipped their bikes to him from thru out the United States as his reputation preceded him. He was a friend of Arlen Ness and David Mann, among others; some of David Mann's paintings were based upon events that occured in Don's life while he and David were friends. Don wore a Langlitz jacket with a beaver pelt vest custom made for him. Don knew how to take care of himself whether he was in his brick apartment on SE Pine or camping in the woods or while on a motorcycle run. He loved the out of doors and would go on an evening ride after he shut down the shop, whenever possible, weather permitting (or not!). He was an independent man with friends from over the world, from Canada to England and elsewhere. People knew if they rode with Don and had a problem with their bike, he carried tools in his saddlebags and could fix anything bike related. He finally had to retire due to diabetes, age, back and leg problems along with other maladies, but he continued to ride as long as he could. It was with a heavy heart that he finally had to pass his bike down to his son, Pete, who flew to Portland, Oregon and rode it back to his home in Georgia, a few years ago. In November of 2016, Don moved to be with Pete and his wife, Jeanette, in Georgia. They rented a truck, with Don, Pete and Jeanette packing Don's years of memories into boxes that filled it, towing Don's Cadillac behind it. It is a testament to Jeanette Case that she drove a truck for the first time, transporting Don and his lifetime of belongings all the way from Portland, Oregon cross country to Georgia in November of 2016. It was a five day trip, due to two instances when Don fell and was injured, breaking his shoulder and some ribs. He ended up in the hospital twice and Jeanette drove the truck with an injured Don over 3,000 miles to their home in Villa Rica, Georgia, where he stayed, living with his son and daughter-in-law who enjoyed his company and cooked his meals, which I am certain extended and gave him a better quality of life in his 70's. Pete told me that he'd go downstairs to Don's room after getting home from work and they'd sit and talk, sharing memories, with Jeanette fixing him healthy meals (even though he missed her Southern Cooking!) most every day. On June 17th, 2018, after dinner, Pete and Jeanette heard something that wasn't right. Pete rushed downstairs to find his dad on the floor and called 911. He was rushed to the hospital with Pete close behind. Don didn't want life support machines keeping him alive and his wishes were honored. The doctors said he had a brain embolism caused by a stroke and Donald Lewis Case left this world on June 17th, 2018 late in the night, on Father's Day. Per Don's wishes, he was cremated. There are memorial services being planned for both Georgia (he made many friends while living there) and Portland, Oregon, where he'd lived for about 45 years. I know he is riding in Heaven with friends including Ray, Randy and Ron, where there is no helmet law and it never rains. He is sorely missed. Rest in Peace, Don.
A special Thank you to Pete and Jeanette Case for the love they gave to Don for so many years, caring for and about him after he went to live with them. He was 74 years old when he passed, having lived a full and fascinating life.
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