Donald Peter Cram

Donald Peter Cram

Donald Peter Cram died suddenly of natural causes in Montrose on July 9, 2023. He was 62.

Donald was born in Waynesboro, VA on November 25, 1960 To Margaret and Kenneth Cram, and lived for much of his childhood in Syracuse, NY. He received a B.A. Mathematics from Wesleyan University, an M.B.A. from Yale University, an M.A. Statistics from Stanford, and a Ph.D. Business  from Stanford. He was a New York City cabbie, worked as a budget analyst in New York City, taught at MIT, CS-Fullerton and SUNY Oswego, and worked in airport operations in Montrose, Colorado.

Donald moved to Montrose in 2017 when his mother moved to an assisted living residence there. He made many friends and was involved in many activities; he was passionate about climate change and recycling and became a community activist and advocate. Donald loved to learn, and to teach, and being part of a community. He loved being outdoors.

Donald was an involved member of the Citizens Climate Lobby, Montrose Recycles, and the Black Canyon Audubon Society, and served as Treasurer for the Montrose Botanic Gardens. He started a neighborhood composting program at Northbrook Villas Mobile Home Community as well as a neighborhood Free Library. He was an artist and participated in programs at Montrose Center for the Arts and Montrose Area Woodturners. He was an advanced Go player and played in tournaments in Grand Junction and on-line.

Donald was a prolific Wikipedia editor. He loved going on road trips, stopping at obscure historic locations to photograh and document buildings and talk to anyone around. He assigned his family photographic missions from the Arctic Circle to the American Southwest.

Donald was deeply loved by his surviving sister Jennifer and brother-in-law Paul Pryse (Ridgway), and his brother Bob, sister-in-law Marietta, and nephews Kenneth and Alexander (San Francisco).

There will be a memorial service on Monday July 17 at 6 pm in La Raza Park at N Ute Ave and N 7th St in Montrose. Please bring a lawn chair. We suggest donations in his memory be made to the Montrose Library. Crippin Funeral Home of Montrose is assisting the family.