Our friend Donald was quite the guy! Early in his life, his whole family was killed in a horrific car accident. Maybe that was why he lived life to the fullest. In the early 1960’s he met his soul mate, Ronald. Together they moved to St. Petersburg from Rochester, NY in 1967. The couple went on to be very well liked and known in the local LGBT community.
Every year they hosted a very popular Christmas Party. In 2001 cancer took Ronald away from us. That year Donald said he was not going to have the Christmas party. We strongly objected and said “Yes you will”! So the parties continued. There was a very wide range of people at these parties. From old friends to new found ones, politicians to business & social club leaders. Many of us would only see each other at this party. Every year we would notice who was not at the party and had passed or moved away that year.
Then Donald came to us over 10 years ago and said he was out living most of his friends and would we become the executors of his estate & medical. Of course we said yes. The annual Christmas parties went on. Donald then become our favorite traveling friend. Together we visited New York City, Las Vegas, the Bahama Islands, Costa Rica and around the state of Florida. Then about 7 years ago Bryan Chant, owner of “The King & I Thai Restaurant” and “The Queen & I Thai Restaurant” in St. Pete, came into Donald’s life. They hit it off fantastically right away. Together they made one very interesting couple. Suddenly Donald’s life was full of loving people in the Asian community. He became known as “Grandpa” to all so many.
Surrounded by his new family, attitude and holistic beliefs on life was full inner feeling of positivity. When ever you would go to say good bye, Donald always would say, “Ya ya, bye bye Love You.”
About 6 months ago, after having knee replacement surgery, Donald had a couple of very bad falls. He went into a rehab center. There were countless trips from rehab to various hospitals and back. All the time Bryan & family was at his side everyday. We made dozens of hard medical & insurance decisions. Donald was very positive but was concern about this years Christmas Party. We told him that if he was still in rehab we would bring the party to him. After all the party tradition must go on. Then on Monday Dec 23rd the sad decision was made to send Donald to Suncoast Hospice Care Center at Bayfront medical. The next morning at 6:30AM the call came and Donald had passed away on Christmas Eve. Together with Bryan, the three of us went to the downtown hospital. The Hospice wing was very different than the other hospitals. The lights were dimmed lower, It was much quieter and very calm. The wing was all nicely decorated for Christmas.
As we walked down the long hall I noted there was one door closed. At the nurse station they told us we could visit with him before they called the funeral home. Behind that closed door was Donald. He looked at rest and content. We jokingly said that he must have moved the Christmas Party to heaven with Ronald this year. As we left we noticed on the outside of the room door was a Christmas’s stocking with Poinsettias. Merry Christmas’s Donald & “Ya ya bye bye Love You”
A visitation will be at Memorial Park Funeral Home, 5750 49th Street North, St. Petersburg, on Monday, Dec. 30th at 2pm with service beginning at 3pm. A celebration of life will follow at The Queen and I Restaurant, 2410 Central Ave., St. Petersburg at 5pm.
Below is the obituary that will be in The Tampa Tribune & St. Petersburg Times tomorrow
Vanderboegh, Donald Wallace, 85, of St. Petersburg, went home to Heaven on December 24, 2013. He was born in Rochester, NY in 1928 and resided in Port Hope, Ontario, Canada. Donald moved to St. Petersburg in 1967 from Rochester, NY, where he had worked for Eastman Kodak. He worked at Orange Blossom Catering for the past 35 years as well as owned apartments in St. Petersburg with his late partner Ronald Scoins. Donald was a life member of the Elks in Rochester, NY. He was a member of Saint Therese Byzantine Catholic Church in St. Petersburg where he was former Vice President of the Men’s Club. Donald was also a founding member of the GaYBOR District Coalition. He was known as “Grandpa” in the Asian community. Donald was also a veteran of the US Navy. He was preceded in death by parents Carle and Elsie Vanderboegh, a wife, two children and partner, Ron Scoins. Donald is survived by companion Bryan Chant of St. P
etersburg; one cousin Sharon Waghorn of Canada; sister-in-law Betty Cromwell and many extended family and friends in Tampa Bay area and New York. A visitation will be at Memorial Park Funeral Home on Monday, Dec. 30th at 2pm with service beginning at 3pm. A celebration of life will follow at The Queen and I Restaurant, 2410 Central Ave., St. Petersburg at 5pm.
