Donald Robertson

1948 - 2014

Robertson, Donald 01/27/1948 ~ 08/25/2014 VISTA -- Beloved chemistry Professor Dr. Donald Robertson 1948-2014. Our beloved father, grandfather, brother and professor, Dr. Donald Robertson, passed away peacefully on Monday, August 25th in Oceanside, CA after a short battle with cancer. He was born January 27, 1948 in Gooding, ID to Alma and Phyllis Robertson. He graduated from Gooding High School, attended the University of Idaho for 2 years and then served a mission from 1968-70 for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Southern States Mission. He married Janice Albertson on September 4, 1970 in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple. They raised 4 children. They later divorced in 1993. Don graduated from BYU and then attended Washington University in St. Louis, MO where he received a PhD in Biochemistry. In 1980, he began his career at BYU where he was a Chemistry and Biochemistry professor. He moved to southern California in 1993, where he soon met Claudio Reategui. They were partners for nine years. He continued teaching chemistry at community colleges and then started teaching at MiraCosta College in 1999. He was still teaching there at the time of his death. He was a beloved organic chemistry professor who taught his students how to think and not just memorization. He will be truly missed at Mira Costa. He had been living in Vista, CA since 2003. He is survived by his former partner, Claudio Reategui, Los Angeles, CA, former wife (Janice), Midvale, UT, his four children Scott (Melissa) Austin, TX, Vickie (Carl) Hacking, Lehi, UT, Sarah (Ken) Day, Pleasant Grove, UT, and Michael (Candace), Stanford, CA, and 13 grandchildren. Burial was held at Elmwood Cemetery in Gooding, ID. He was predeceased by his parents, a brother, Ron, and a grandson, Jimmer. A celebration of life will be held on Friday, October 17, 2014, from 3-5 p.m. at MiraCosta College campus Student Center Pavilion located at 1 Barnard Drive, Oceanside, CA 92056. Colleagues, family, former students, and friends are encouraged to come share their memories of Don.