Claudia and I visited (8/23/2023) where the old Oregon Technical Institute (OTI) used to be. (This is where my dad was going to school when he had his car accident.) The first thing we learned is that the old school is not where the current school is located. The old school is a few miles out of town and was a Marine Barracks before it became a school in 1947. Since my dad was born in 1933, he must have gone to school there around 1951. There is only a monument left in the old location.

My dad told many stories about the school, but I don't remember being told it used to be a Marine Barracks. One story I remember about his school had to do with a car battery. One day he had to move a battery from one place to another. Since the battery was heavy, he carried it with his arms extended and resting against his body. This meant that it was resting against the upper part of his pants. Supposedly, the battery acid ate away at his pants and left him a little exposed. A funny story to tell a young Danny.

As Don was 7 years older than myself, it has meant 79 years of loving Don.
I cannot recall in all those years Don and I ever having a disagreement. (However, I was not in his graces when my cat got into the car he was restoring and got sick. Both the cat and I kept out of site.) To this day I can remember the terrible trauma and pain the entire family suffered in hearing Don had been in a car accident while attending Oregon Technical Institute and might not live. After weeks in a coma, and finally coming out of it, he was referred to as the miracle of Klamath Falls by those caring for him.
We had such fun growing up together, him showing me how to put on his
roller skates by tightening them on with a key, how to ride a bike, and eating pure junk food every time he took care of me. He loved music, sang in both
his school and church choir, and took me to jazz concerts at a very young age. And then there were the motorcycle rides. I think dad started turning gray that year. It seemed liked he always had a car he was restoring, and his love of automobiles carried on through most of his life. They were the best of days with all the cousins running around together and vacationing together, with Don always pulling some prank on one or more of us. In looking back
over so many years, I could not have had a more loving and kind hearted
brother. I am so thankful.

I will be forever thankful to Don for being so encouraging to Dan, his son, and to me also. He always spoke so highly of Dan, and by association, he thought well of me. He taught Dan the value of family, integrity, valuing what you have and caring for it. He taught Dan to be frugal with his money, but to know when it was the right time to splurge - when it meant something important. He was an important part of Dan's journey of faith by his involvement in the Men's Breakfast Group at his church, singing in the choir, and always reading the Bible. Through his life journey, he taught Dan to honor his marriage and work hard to keep it strong. I'm especially grateful for that particular lesson!

On Monday, September 9th, 2019, Donald “Don” Bridenbecker, loving husband and father, passed away at the age of 86. Don was born June 21st, 1933, to Norman and Lillian Bridenbecker in Portland, OR. He graduated from Beaverton High School in June of 1951 and then attended the Oregon Institute of Technology. On June 19th, 1960, he married Gail Masters and they had one child, Daniel Bridenbecker. He worked at Alcoa Aluminum in Vancouver, WA from 1966 to 1986. On June 7th, 1986, Don married Shirley Haack and were married 33 years at the time of his death.

Besides his wives, Don had four passions in life – the Lord, cars, wine, and jazz. Don loved reading the Bible and joined the choir at every church he attended. He went to college to learn to work on cars and watched endless amounts of open wheel racing. Wine was not just something he drank, but he also enjoyed the entire wine making process from growing grapes to bottling. His love for jazz was so passionate that he taught many others to love it as well.

Don is survived by his wife Shirley Bridenbecker, his sister Linda Light, his children, Daniel Bridenbecker, Sheryl DeLagasse, Scott Haack, and many grandchildren, cousins, and nephews. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 28th, 2019 at 2:00 PM at Family of Christ Lutheran Church at 3500 NW 129th St. Vancouver, WA. Should friends desire, memorial contributions may be sent to Family of Christ Lutheran Church.