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Donald James Bjornberg

 Donald James Bjornberg was born Oct. 31, 1937, in North Haven Conn. He was one of 10 children born to John and Francis Bjornberg. He loved sports especially family croquet, theatre and was voted best dancer in high school. He was a regular on a Connecticut bandstand show. Don joined the Air Force from 1955-59, where he learned to be a cryptographer. After serving, he got a job at Yale University Press in New Haven, Conn. where he worked for 10 years. He married Suzanne Hansen in 1961, and they had a beautiful daughter two years later.

  In 1970, he went to school in Fort Collins, Colo. to be an alcohol and drug counselor. After graduation, he worked at Prehab in Arizona, a program for troubled teens until 1982. He then moved to Berkeley, and lived at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute where he studied Buddhism for five years. After that, he moved to Sonoma, where he did press work at Fireman’s Fund from 1988-94, then enjoyed retirement and doing his own thing “Dat’s right.” He could be seen most days walking or bicycle riding around town, stopping by the county library or doing light shopping. Always with a friendly “how you doin’.”

  Donnie died peacefully at Sonoma Valley Hospital with his daughter and loved ones by his side, after a sudden progression of pulmonary fibrosis he had since 2007.

  Don is survived by seven siblings; many nieces and nephews; his loving daughter, Heide Lee Bjornberg, of Henderson, Nev.; and two grandchildren, Courtney and Griffin Schauer, of Cedarburg, Wisc.

A private memorial in his honor was held on Feb. 24, 2013, to celebrate the life of “The Don.” Fly Free Billy Dee!