Memorial
It is with a heavy heart and deep sadness to share the passing Donald Gatte Quinn, 77, of Cedar Rapids, Ia. Don passed away peacefully in his sleep on November 29, 2024 after courageously battling Alzheimer’s and Vascular Dementia for the last 6 years. Per Don’s wishes, a private family service was held at Cedar Memorial Park. A celebration of life gathering remembering Don is being planned for a later date in the Spring 2025.
Don was born Donald Gatte Quinn to Peter and Grace Quinn Gatte on October 4, 1947 in Youngstown Ohio. After living there for 3 years, his father accepted a Safety supervisory position with GATX Railroad in Chicago and the family moved to Glenview, Illinois. A month after moving, Don’s younger brother, Jim, was born in February 1950. Don deeply loved his little brother, always watching out for him, which many times, was challenging as there was never a dull moment with Jim. Even though the two brothers were exact opposites, they always close no matter how many miles separated them during their lives.
During his childhood, Don was in Cub Scouts and later in Boy Scouts, earning his 1st class badge. It was through these experience that Don developed his love of nature and the outdoors and camping. He often talked about the week-long high adventure trip to the Boundary Waters in Minnesota with his troop. This love of the outdoors remained throughout his adult life, sharing it with his own family. Don’s family also had a family cabin in Eagle River Wisconsin that he, his dad, and brother built together. They spent many summer weeks up there, boating and canoeing, skiing, and lots of hiking.
With his parents being Catholic, Don attended parochial school through 3rd grade, changing to public schools for the rest of his school years. He graduated from Glenbrook High School in Glenview in 1966. He then went on to attend Upper Iowa College in Fayette, IA, majoring in education (grades K- 14) and minoring in Biological Sciences. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Education in May 1971. He later in life went on to earn graduate hours to be able to teach Special Education.
To meet his student teaching requirement for graduation, Don was assigned George Washington Senior High School in Cedar Rapids Iowa over the summer of 1971. This turned out to be a very special summer for Don as it was when he met a junior Mt. Mercy nursing student, Andrea “Andi” Lund, who would become his wife.
Being from Illinois and only knowing the town of Fayette in Iowa, Don didn’t even know where Cedar Rapids was in Iowa or anyone who lived there. Bored when he wasn’t teaching, he decided to find a place to volunteer to help past the time. He ended up at the Linn County Sheltered Workshop for people with disabilities, later known as Linn County Options. Don always had a special love for working with people of all ages with mental and physical disabilities.
That same summer, Andi also decided to volunteer there too. After 8 weeks for casual chatting, Don finally mustered up the courage to ask her out on a date a week before his student teaching was ending. She said yes to going to the Linn County Fair with him and the rest was history.
After a year of long-distance dating, school was out for the Summer and Don was coming in to visit for long weekend. He surprised Andi when the weekend was up and he wasn’t headed back to Chicago. When she asked him why, he calmly replied he was moving Cedar Rapids to be closer to her.
During Andi’s Thanksgiving break that same year, Don was helping her study at her house when he took her textbook away from her and asked her to marry him. She said yes. That night, when he left for the evening, instead of going back to his apartment, he drove straight to Glenview to get 2 family solitary diamond rings from his mother’s side of his family. She had them set aside for each son to give their future wife. After a brief nap, he drove straight back to Cedar Rapids to ask Andi pick on. Before he showed her the ring, he first gave her a single yellow rose as he knew yellow was favorite color. The yellow rose became a loving gesture Don gave her to mark special times in their life together- a single yellow the morning of their wedding day, on the birth of each son, special anniversaries, Mother’s Day, becoming a grandmother, when she was down or sad and “just because” moments. Don and Andi were married on September 22, 1973, celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary September 2023. They were married for 51 yrs at the time of Don’s death when Andi placed a single yellow rose in his hand to hold forever.
Don worked at different places throughout his life- Farmstead Foods as an inspector, the Cedar Rapids School District as a substitute teacher, ARC of Eastern Iowa. Don soon decided the job he really wanted was work with special needs individuals full time and accepted a position with Linn Haven working with young adults to senior citizens. He started out a staff but soon became a Coordinator, working there for 19 years.
Don decided to leave Linn Haven and return to teaching, working with special needs students in the Cedar Rapids School District. Don joked that because of his age (old enough to retire), he was too old to teacher, so accepted the position as a “one on one” Para Professional, working with autistic students in both middle and high schools. Don continued to work full time until the physical challenges of Alzheimer’s started to interfere.
For Don, family was everything and came first all this life. One loving example came when his father asked both Don and his brother would consider making a legal name change. Don’s mother, Grace, was an only child and the last of her family line. Don’s father didn’t want her family name to end with her death and asked if one of them would take her last name, both sons had it has their middle name. Don didn’t hesitate at all and promptly had his name changed from Donald Quinn Gatte to Donald Gatte Quinn in 1973 before marriage.
Don and Andi welcomed their first son, Todd on June 14, 1977 and son Brandon April 10, 1981. Don was thrilled to have sons and couldn’t wait to teach them the love of the outdoors and nature. Don and Andi both totally immersed their sons’ lives, being there for them always and making sure everything was perfect for them. First came Indian Guides, a father son (ages 5-7) program through the YMCA. Of course, Don couldn’t just be participant in Todd’s, so he became the Chief of the entire program to make sure the experience was all it could be with Andi helping out too in the background. He continued this with Brandon too.
When Todd was old enough for Cubs Scouts, both Don and Andi couldn’t wait to get him in the program. Don immediately became the Assistant Cubmaster of Pack 88 at Madison Elementary School and Andi his Den Leader. Don was loved by both the scouts and their families and leaders too. He always had a special “Don’s time” at every Pack meeting that all looked forward to and it always involved humor and tons of fun and laughter. He continued his total involvement in scouting and the pack through Brandon’s years. When Todd achieved Order of the Arrow and was ready to be one a Boy Scout, Don started Troop 88 up again as it’s Scoutmaster after it had been dissolved for over 15 years. For himself, Don took all adult training that was offered. He also completed Wood Badge training; an advanced, national leadership course open only to Scouting volunteers.
Don really enjoyed being a Band of Blue band parent at Jefferson High School along with Andi. They two never missed any band events and loved chaperoning school events all the time with both sons. They knew all their sons’ friends, who lovingly call Don and Andi “Mom & Dad”. Don loved his sons and found such joy in watching them grow, pursue their passions and participate in various activities. He was their biggest supporter, always present at every event in their lives. Don celebrated their every achievement with pride and enthusiasm.
Taking family vacations with their sons were important to Don and Andi. Whether they for just a week or a long weekend away in a new city or state to visiting grandparents and Don’s brother in Florida, they were always about enjoying family. Summertime was especially special as that was when they went up to Backbone State Park, always renting Cabin 4. There were plenty of trails to hike, trout streams to fish and a lake to go canoeing with a beach for swimming. You could always spot Don anywhere with his tie-dyed shirts, hoodies, and even a tie-dyed bucket hat.
It was up Backbone where Don first tried a kayak and immediately fell in love with it. Don bought a one-person yellow kayak which he nicknamed “The Big Banana” as that’s what it looked on top of his car. He went kayaking every chance he had. He convinced Andi to try his new hobby which led them to get a tandem kayak, also yellow and nicknamed “The Banana Boat”. Both had Chiquita Banana girl stickers too. Don joined Sticks in the Water, a local kayak group that went on kayak day trips around the state, exploring different lakes and rivers. He really liked the comradery of the people in the group and going on adventures with them.
Even when their sons were grown, Don and Andi continued going every Summer with their sons often coming up for a day or two. They only missed going 1 year in their 51 yrs of marriage due to cabins being closed for a season. It was very fitting that their last vacation together was in August 2024 at their beloved Backbone in “their” where so many memories were made over the years.
In 2009, their son, Brandon, moved to Colorado. So now yearly vacations to Colorado started. Every time Don and Andi visited Brandon, he would plan a surprise weekend trip the various places and towns showcasing the state. Don and Andi really loved exploring Colorado with Brandon, especially going to see the places he loved and talked about.
A few years later, Todd moved to Colorado and the exploration continued with them both. On the top of the list for best Colorado trip was one that Todd and Misty planned a family weekend getaway in an isolated exquisite private log cabin with its own lake, nestled in the woods with mountains all around it. It was a celebration of Don & Andi’s anniversary. It was truly the best family weekend, but what made it a weekend to be remembered always, was when Todd and Misty gave them a homemade picture announcing they were expecting a baby- a first grandchild for Don and Andi. Don has always been someone who holds back and doesn’t show his emotions openly. But, this night, a tiny happy tear rolled down his cheek.
Don’s love of nature, which was shared by Andi, was very evident when you looked at their yard and all the perennial beds. This especially true when you walked into their beautifully landscaped backyard which included a large koi pond with 2 streams and waterfalls. For Don and Andi, working in the backyard to create a place of serenity and calm was a labor of love, putting lots of energy and time into their yard Of course, there needed to be a variety of birds and butterflies, so they made sure to have different bird feeders and plant to draw in the butterflies. Don also completed the 10-week course to become a Master Gardner. Because of their love for the outdoors, nature and foliage, any trip they took always had Botanical Gardens, forest preserves and walking trails on the top of their "to do" list.
Don, along with Andi, also enjoyed live theatre and a variety of live performances including musical concerts, comedy, and all forms of dance. This was their favorite thing to do on date nights. As a result, they were season subscribers to Theatre Cedar Rapids, Broadway at the Paramount, and Gallagher Bluedorn in Cedar Falls throughout their married life.
Don never regretted anything about his life which was full, except getting that fateful diagnosis of Alzheimer’s in 2018. His journey with this horrible disease was marked by his strength and resilience which showed his spirit over and over again as new challenges were thrown at him. The disease slowly took away his physical abilities but not his mental abilities. Through it all, Don kept a positive outlook and his love for life was an inspiration for all that knew him. Don proved that the human spirit CAN triumph over adversity with his loving wife with him every step of the way in their home together till the end.
Don was preceded in death by both of his parents and brother and also his in-laws, Ken Lund and Arleen Lund (Best), and brother-in-law, Ric Lund.
Left to carry forward Don’s legacy of love, kindness, compassionate heart, and family values are his beloved wife of 51 years, Andi, and their sons Todd (Misty) and Brandon, both of Colorado, grandchildren, Zephyr (4 ½) and Jovie Quinn (1 ½). He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Treva Hufft Lund of Springfield, MO.
Cards and Memorials can be sent to the family of Don Quinn, 1248 18th St. NW, Cedar Rapids, IA, 52405.