The afternoon of Friday, November 19, my phone rang. It had been ringing solidly all day but this one was different. This call contained a message I never wanted to hear. It was my dear friend, Sheryl Donald…a woman I’ve known, loved and admired for 45-plus years…who said through her tears, “Jon, I’m at the hospital and heading inside to see David. It doesn’t look good.” About an hour later, David, for whom we’d prayed fervently for weeks as he battled Covid, went home to Jesus. The news of his passing is surreal and very hard for all of us to comprehend.
My journey with David began in 1965. Lyndon Johnson was in the White House…the Vietnam war had just begun…the Civil Rights movement was in full swing…a movie called The Sound of Music premiered…the Dodgers won the World Series…and David Robert Donald, one of the most gifted, talented, fruit-bearing, wise, compassionate and authentic Christian men I’ve ever known and I became best friends. We were in the 7th grade.
Pool parties, pick-up basketball games and the ever-famous “taco nights” at the Donald house soon followed and our friendship grew and deepened quickly. David was so affable and friendly with an ever-ready smile. He excelled at athletics but it may surprise many to know he was not yet a singer…I don’t think it was even on his radar screen at the time…which is pretty astonishing considering what an amazing a singer he ultimately became. I’ve often said, “I’d rather hear David Donald sing than any man I know.” That statement holds true to this very day.
David possessed so many amazing qualities it’s impossible to enumerate them all. He played a major role throughout his long tenure with Celebrant Singers. I regularly referred to Dave both privately and publicly, as the “soul” of the ministry. His Godly influence was profound and thoroughly woven into the fabric of who we were. God’s fingerprints through his life were everywhere and we all immensely benefited. He was a dedicated, committed loving husband, father, and a “big brother” role model to his siblings. Throughout all the years he was deeply involved in his church and a great number of other Christian activities as well. I’ve seldom met a man as thoroughly and universally loved and respected as David Donald.
It was David and another friend named Rex Kennemer, who together led me to a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ at 14 years of age. We sang in both school and church groups all through high school, and later went off to Biola College (now university) to join the Continental Singers in 1969…a ministry we dearly loved and served in together for eight years.
One of my fondest memories with Dave on that first tour to the Bahamas, was sitting outside on the top deck at night. We’d make our way up and sit for hours talking about everything and nothing, staring at the blanket of stars against a pitch-black sky, listening to the waves against the bow and the drone of the ships powerful diesel engines. The setting of the open ocean, the peace and tranquility drove us toward spiritual musings. I remember saying, “David, any idea what God has in mind for our lives?” Even then my friend was wise beyond his years. He’d say things like, “Only God knows, Jon…only God knows. Our job is to seek Him and be willing to obey.” How could we have known much of anything at 15 and 16 years of age? The only thing we knew is that we wanted to be God’s men. Who could have imagined on those warm July nights over 50 years ago that David and I would spend the better part of our lives working together in ground-breaking international music and missions ministry?
It’s impossible to describe the amount of love, appreciation, and friendship equity I have with my “brother from another mother.” In addition to being my closest and most loyal friend, perhaps the best thing I can say about David is that he was a Christian…a true-blue, genuine, fruit-bearing Christian. In more than 50 years of friendship, in the midst of extremely challenging circumstances, I never heard a bad piece of advice come out of David Donald’s mouth. God placed a deposit of wisdom in David that was truly remarkable and immensely valuable. His contribution to Celebrant Singers and to all of our lives personally, is deeply profound. Only eternity will reveal the whole.
The news of his passing is inestimably sad to all in the CS family. He leaves behind his beloved wife, Sheryl…a magnificent lady… and precious children, Danielle, Jon, Ben and Michelle, along with innumerable friends and ministry co-workers.
Love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control…the entire list of the fruit of the Spirit…were all in abundant evidence in David’s sterling character and well-lived life.
Well done my dear brother…enter into your reward. For me, there will never be another you. Thanks for showing us all, in such an extraordinary way, how to faithfully and authentically follow the Master. Your imprint is indelible and you will never be forgotten.
–Jon Stemkoski
David Robert Donald
April 26, 1952 – November 19, 2021
