Donald Maxwell Gerwin

Donald Gerwin passed away on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020, at the age of 79. He grew up in a suburb of New York City but, on a family trip as a teenager, fell in love with the mountains of the western states. That helped influence his decision to attend the Colorado School of Mines where he graduated as a geophysicist in 1964. During college he joined ROTC and then the Army Reserves and was called up to active duty for two years. Although his service overlapped with the Vietnam War, he often said he had the best job a soldier could have had: mapping islands in the South Pacific from the nose of a B-50F bomber. After being discharged from the military he would work in oil exploration for 20 years. Like many, this profession is what brought him initially to Alaska in 1969 and, minus a couple years in Louisiana and Colorado, is where he would happily choose to reside the rest of his life. His job would also be how he met the woman who would be his wife and best friend for 51 years. Her name seemed to be the perfect match and often caused smiles that together they were "Don and Donna." Don is survived by his wife as well as their three children, daughter-in-law and granddaughter who all also reside in Anchorage, and several relatives of Donna's that adopted him into their large clan. Don's enjoyment of the mountains and outdoors and sense of adventure led him to all 50 states and many places around the world with his family, real and adopted, and friends. These trips would usually include some combination of camping, hiking, kayaking, rafting or snorkeling. After retiring he even completed the entire Appalachian Trail - a feat of which he was very proud as it required a lot of determination and commitment. As much as he enjoyed the sights and adventures on these trips he was also content to spend time and energy on his life at home in Anchorage. While his kids were young he held positions in Boy Scouts, Indian Guides and Awanas so he could spend time with them and also because he believed these jobs needed to be done by someone and he was willing. He also would have been seen at various community school events volunteering in various capacities. After retirement he was an active member of Trinity Presbyterian, Rotary and Red Cross. His belief in God was an important part of his life, and he always lived his life with honesty and faith. The last few years dementia began making the circle of his life smaller as normal life became difficult and then impossible. But he accepted the last stage in life with dignity and grace and recognized his family throughout his last days, for which we are profoundly thankful. A celebration of life will be held later this year in Anchorage. Many thanks to the local Alzheimer Association for their educational and emotional support