Jamie Gates
I have a long list of memories of Donnie....way back when... for his birthday party (maybe 9 years old) his mom scheduled a visit to the Baron Demone show on television of which I was unable to attend because of some sickness I had....Donnie was mad at me for not coming and would not let me forget it....We... Lou Lombardo, myself and Donnie rode Trail bikes together through the summers from Pulaski to Mexico along the abandon Railroad tracks and Donnie was always the most daring...we ... lou and I ...were the followers... Donnie would be the one to blaze thru new adventures...no matter what the risks and laugh about it....He as you can imagine was the always the mischievous one...during 4th grade at lunch )my mom was a teachers aid at times helping out while myrtle Norton would take lunch) and Donnie would always be doing something he shouldn't ...my mom had enough and pulled Donnie"s hair....from that point on whenever he was in her company even in high school...he would say in front of her to me..."your mothers tough...don't mess with her"... Donnie was a great natural leader throughout high school...never asked to be the leader...when Hank Mathison died(a very good disciplinarian to Donnie)...that Saturday following his death he announced that this game is in honor of Mr Mathison...with tears in his eyes ...and no one was gonna say any different about it..... In the huddles during games that we seem to be struggling in... he would say "common you guys ...we can beat these guys ...give me the ball.. i'll get some yards".. he was tough as nails! He played football throughout high school with out his parents knowing until the very last game in which he invited his parents to come and see him play....we let him down that day losing the ball game to a very tough A-P-W team.....but stop and think about it how the hell can ya play football all those years without your folks knowing??? He told me he used the moto- cross racing(which I understand he was very good at also) to cover for him so he could play....His senior year he was voted by the coaches to be the best damn back in our league! I will miss that Donnie "Dobber" Dobson! RIP Donnie the pain is over!
Jamie Gates