We miss you, Dwane.

We lost our best friend, a soul of unparalleled generosity and kindness. He was selfless, big-hearted and true, blessing our lives forever.

We love you, Dwane. We'll never forget you.
-- Scott Heaton



Highlights ...

• Born August 3rd, 1939, at Stanford Hospital, San Francisco, CA. Mother: Madeline Fay Pinkston (Barrett); Father: Floyd James Pinkston; Brother: Robert Daniel Pinkston; Sister: Deborah Joyce Heaton (Pinkston)
• Attended: Filmore and Madison Elementary, Marina Junior High School, and Galileo High School. Graduated from Galileo HS June, 1957.
• Entered Army basic training at Fort Ord, Salinas, California, in 1961. Was trained as a telephone lineman and later served at Fort Benning, Georgia, and Fort Lewis, Washington.
• Worked at Clay Theater, Broadway Bowl, Tommy's Joint, Baghdad Bowl and Hastings College of Law.
  
• Took early retirement in 1993 to care for his ailing father.
  
• Died September, 2009, age 70.
  

Sidelights ...

• As kids, Dwane and his brother Bob were inseparable. They would skylark around San Francisco without their mother's knowledge or permission, sometimes wandering miles from home.
  
• Dwane sold papers on Filmore Street at age 10 and proved to be a successful businessman. He later sold Scout-a-Rama tickets, often exceeding other scouts' totals. Always productive, Dwane later worked as a teenage usher at the Clay Theater
• Dwane was a born athlete, winning accolades as a soccer star at Galileo High School.
• Dwane was a powerful, skilled bowler. At Fort Lewis, Dwane's commanding officer assigned him to the unit's bowling team, which consistently won service tournaments after he joined. At the end of an honorable tour of duty, Dwane left to resume his old life -- mere days before his unit was shipped to Vietnam.
• Upon returning, he took a job at Tommy's Joint (an eatery) and later at Baghdad Bowling, where he repaired bowling equipment and frequently won bowling trophies and tournaments in his off hours.
• Dwane was so good at bowling, in fact, he was practically unbeatable. He won cash and prizes routinely, lavishing his family with goodies. Had he gone pro, without doubt he would have become famous.
  
• The head maintenance supervisor of Hastings College of Law discovered Dwane and hired him. In time Dwane rose to the same supervisor position, responsible for the entire school complex, consisting of 12 buildings. Dwane made many friends at Hastings, among them distinguished professors, Deans, and other notables. Not only did Dwane exhibit consummate skills and leadership, but staff also valued his reliability, warmth and approachability.
  
• Dwane was a night owl, as was his mother. He often stayed up until 3:00 a.m., alternately watching TV and dozing. Dwane adored television from its inception and watched it avidly.
  
• Dwane loved fishing, too. Quite the aficionado, his stamina was legendary. He often rooted himself to one spot on a river bank or boat seat the whole of a day. His Aunt Beth and Uncle Ray left him near Deer Creek Reservoir early one morning only to find him standing that night exactly where they'd left him. Dwane loved fishing so much, in fact, he spent entire summers in Utah fishing on Provo River and Lake Strawberry. He was a pro.
• Among his passions, Dwane kept and raised tropical fish, at one point owning 16 large fish tanks arrayed along his bedroom and living room walls.
  
• Dwane would have remained at Hastings, but his father, Floyd, suffered from health issues; so Dwane retired early and dutifully tended to his Dad's needs until his father's death in 1997.
  
• Dwane was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints but was never active. He felt that rivers and lakes and mountains were, in their own right, cathedrals of worship.
• Dwane loved children. When he visited, the Heaton kids would ride his lap or play games with him. Lanay Heaton remembers Uncle Dwane buying her favorite cereal and secretly placing the boxes on her bed. Dwane took Brian Heaton on fishing trips to Soldier Creek and Scofield Reservoir among other fishing venues.
  
• Dwane and his brother Bob purchased a trailer above idyllic Lake Berryessa, California, where they relaxed among trees and hills, fished, and participated in the yearly "Poker Run" held each August. Both brothers joined a league and bowled together on Thursday nights for several years.
  
• Perhaps Dwane's greatest goodness was his unfailing generosity. He would, and did, many, many times, help others financially; and for that and his many other sterling qualities, I count this man among the best ever born.

Debbie's remembrances ...

• As a kid, Debbie had a special relationship with her big brother. Dwane would take her to matinee movies and buy her popcorn and candy. Afterward they'd wander up Market Street and visit Woolworth's and later a tropical fish store, where they'd spend hours deciding which fish to buy. Occasionally they'd mosey into a nearby stamp store and marvel at the magnificent collections. Other times they whiled away afternoons at Golden Gate Park, enjoying the sunshine and sights. For a change of pace, Dwane took Debbie to Lake Merced to fish all day in a row boat. These remain some of Debbie's most precious memories.
  
• In 1962 and 1963, Dwane, Debbie and their father fished on the Truckee River in northern California. Once while fishing, Dwane cast a line and handed the pole to Debbie, who deftly caught a trout. After netting the fish, Dwane took the pole and quickly caught a trout, himself, while Debbie netted the fish. This hand-off routine stretched into hours.
  
• Once when Debbie was two years old on a fishing trip to Lake Merced, Dwane told her to keep an eye on the rod. "If the rod shakes, grab it, Debbie," he said. "A fish will be on the line. Don't let it go!" Dwane left for a moment, only to return to see Debbie furiously dragging a trout on the line up an adjacent hill, pole in hand. Debbie had seen the rod shake, grabbed the thing and ran for dear life fearing if she didn't she'd lose the fish. Dwane thought the sight so funny he nearly fainted with laughter. The trout was huge. Dwane often spoke of that experience.
• While visiting their aunt and uncle in Los Angeles one year, Dwane and Debbie caught Montezuma's Revenge. The condition got so severe, they repeatedly passed each other in the hallway, staggering from one bathroom to the other. Uncle Pinky thought the two were so hysterical, he laughed his head off.
  

Good-bye, Dwane. I can't express how deeply we feel your loss. You were a brother to us, a real friend, and that meant everything. The earth was a better, happier place while you were here. The sun doesn't shine as bright now that you're gone. We'll remember you always.

There is a special place in our hearts
for those we have loved, for those who have loved us
without question, without a word or promise...
There is a special place where there is no pain or fear,
where love flows freely...
There is a special place to rest in our hearts forever.