It is with great sadness, yet also a sense of celebration and deep gratitude, that I inform you of the passing of distinguished alumnus, longtime Trustee and benefactor Donald H. Herak. Don was 94 years old, and lived a full, productive and contributive life. He was a devout Catholic, and a deeply spiritual man as well.
From his earliest years, Don was connected with the Jesuits. He was raised on a farm near St. Ignatius, Montana where lots of his time was spent visiting the nearby Jesuit Community, which reinforced his father’s constant reminders to Don to always give back more than he received. This paternal guidance resulted in a lifelong reverence for the Jesuits as well as a commitment to helping others.
In high school, Don was president of his class and a member of the varsity basketball squad. He married his sweetheart, Carol Lucy, in 1944, and through the generosity of others who supported his scholarship, he graduated from Gonzaga University in 1946 with a degree in engineering. He began his career in Montana working for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Don’s career took off when he and Carol moved to Spokane and he became manager at Acme Concrete in 1956. In 1960, he became president and within a few years had purchased the company.
A man with immense business savvy and an engineer’s eye for potential, he grew the company into one of the premier suppliers of concrete in the nation, helping build dams, highways, bridges and buildings throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond. He loved creating things and took delight in having played a role in building the public infrastructure of our part of the world.
Don served on Gonzaga’s Board of Regents (1972-76), then was elected to the Board of Trustees in 1984, a position he held for more than 30 years, including a stint as Chair of the Board, culminating with the distinction of becoming Trustee emeritus. His efforts as a charter member of the Engineering Advisory Council helped boost the School of Engineering to a status of full accreditation. In 1988, he and Carol gave a lead gift of $1 million to expand and rejuvenate Dillon Hall, which later became the Don and Carol Herak Center for Engineering. That gift was just the tip of the iceberg. Every year since 1957, the Heraks have given to many aspects of Gonzaga life, including faculty chairs and development; numerous building projects; the Great Teachers Program; the James McGivern Scholarship Fund and many others; academic programs; and numerous memorial funds and unrestricted endowments. Don Herak played a critical role in the University’s decision to build the McCarthey Athletic Center and has been a steadfast supporter of Athletics for over forty years.
Don was outspoken in his support of our liberal arts curriculum and the foundation it provides for our students as leaders and contributors to our world. He continually subjected the operation of the university to his experienced scrutiny. He served on a number of campaign committees at Gonzaga over the last 30 years, and chaired several of them. Don and Carol were long-standing supporters of the Spokane Symphony, and in recent years, Don has continued his stalwart advocacy of Catholic education through his foundational support of the Nazareth Guild of the Diocese of Spokane.
Don always said Gonzaga gave him far more than he ever gave back. He was the living embodiment of a man truly influenced by his Jesuit roots, empowered by his steadfast faith in God, and always appreciative of his many blessings. In 2004, the University bestowed upon him an honorary Doctor of Laws, and in 2010, he and Carol were honored by Gonzaga with the Ignatian Spirit Award.
Don’s passing will be deeply felt throughout the Gonzaga and Spokane communities. We are profoundly saddened by this loss. I hope you will join me in extending our deepest sympathies, thoughts and prayers to the entire Herak family.Services will be as follows:
ViewingMonday, March 19
Hennessey Funeral Home
2203 N Division Street
Rosary
Monday, March 19
7:00 p.m.
Hennessey Funeral Home
Funeral
Tuesday, March 20
10:30 a.m.
Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes
1115 Riverside Avenue
Reception (Immediately following the funeral)
Gonzaga University – John J. Hemmingson Center, Ballroom
702 E Desmet Avenue
“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” 2 Corinthians 5:1
Thayne M. McCulloh, D.Phil.President, Gonzaga University
March 12, 2018