Donald Gordon Rhodes, born April 28, 1936, in Scobey, MT, passed peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday, June 27, 2023, at the age of 87, in the Lake Forest home of his son and daughter-in-law. Born to Rex and Gertrude Rhodes, he has one sibling, Donna.

Don grew up in the Puget Sound area of the State of Washington.  He moved to Long Beach, California, after serving in the U.S. Marines, where he met Ginger Ann Peck. After a short courtship, Don and Ginger were married in the summer of 1957 and had three children, Stewart (passed), Dawn, and Greg. He remarried in the late '60s and gained a stepdaughter, Yvette.

He worked for 3M for several years, then as a wallpaper hanger until he retired in 1998. He is survived by his sister Donna Borden; daughter Dawn Sandner, son-in-law Bob; son Greg Rhodes, daughter-in-law Shari;
stepdaughter Yvette McCarthy, son-in-law Noel; grandchildren Robert, Leighanna, Dan, Sky, Chloe, Emma, Nick, Sean, Stephen, and Cydney; six great-grandchildren; and his four-legged companion of eight years, BooBoo.

Don's family and friends affectionately referred to him as Baja Don. In Don's early days, he loved to travel to Baja California in the summers with his family, and always dreamed of moving and living there some day.  He enjoyed camping with his family around old ghost towns and mining camps. He was also an avid fisherman and shared his love of fishing with his children and grandchildren. In the early '80s he got his pilot's license and bought a Cessna 206 and enjoyed flying to Baja California and many other places.

After Don retired in 1998, he ended up moving to Loreto, BCS, and living his Baja dream, where he met many wonderful lifelong friends.  He always had an open door and enjoyed a good conversation. He also loved cooking, making fresh pasta, baking, growing food, and was proud of his backyard fruit and vegetable garden.

Don loved the time spent with family and friends. He was known as a bit of a prankster with a quirky sense of humor. He was a good-natured and generous man, with a heart of gold, who loved his children and grandchildren immensely.  "Love you bunches!" he would always say.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 29, 2023, at 21841 Shasta Lake Road, Lake Forest, CA, followed by a reception.