Donald Hull, 86

Donald A. (Don) Hull was born in Wallace, Idaho, on July 9, 1938, and died July 13, 2024.

Don was a caring husband and father who enjoyed walking, hiking, sailing, fishing, skiing, cooking, traveling and reading …  He especially enjoyed making Christmas pudding using Grandmother Hull's recipe and always made too much hard sauce.

Don graduated from Wallace High School and held degrees in geology from the University of Idaho, McGill University and Mackay School of Mines.

His first love was fieldwork, and his career involved travels from the Arctic in Canada and Alaska to Mexico. He worked in mineral exploration for several companies, including Rio Tinto and Homestake Mining Company. In 1974, he moved to Oregon to work on geothermal energy projects. In 1979, he was appointed state geologist and director of the State of Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries.

At DOGAMI, he helped guide the first production of natural gas in Oregon's history and formulated a regulatory regime for metal mining. In 1984, a growing interest in offshore mining led to his appointment as co-chair of a federal-state task force with the Department of the Interior led to oversee development. As Oregonians became aware of potentially devastating seismic events, he helped introduce and pass landmark legislation guiding systematic mapping of tsunami inundation and education of students in coastal schools.

During his tenure as state geologist, he served as an ex officio member of the State Board of Geologists Examiners and was appointed by Gov. Kitzhaber to chair the Oregon Legislature's interim panel on flood control, an atypical type of governance. For many years, he worked with the Oregon Historical Society as an appointed member of the Oregon Geographic Names Board.

Other honors included president of Association of American State Geologists, a member of the Executive Committee of American Geological Institute and Western States Seismic Policy Advisory Commission.

Following his retirement in 1999, Don helped organize Partners for Loss Prevention, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to protecting young children and their teachers from damaging earthquakes by strengthening their schools throughout Washington and Oregon. In 1999, he moved to Cannon Beach, Ore., where he served as chairman of the Planning Commission.

He is survived by his spouse, Sandra L. Johnson-Hull, children Lynnelle J.(Hull) Caudill in Spokane, Wash., Donald J. R. Hull in Spokane, Wash., stepson Jeffery R. Johnson in Portland, brother George Hull in Eugene and five grandchildren. He was preceded by his daughter, Laura J. Hull.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that remembrances be given to Grace Memorial Episcopal Church in Portland.

Remembrance will be held at Grace Memorial Episcopal Church, 1535 NE 17th, on Oct. 5 at 1 p.m. in Portland, Ore. Arrangements entrusted to Zeller Chapel of the Roses. Please access the obituary. You are invited to sign the guestbook at Zeller Chapel of the Roses.