With the recent Major League Baseball postseason and World Series playing out, mine and so many others’ thoughts gravitate to the loss of a vital member of our Valley community. Don Lyons, who strongly battled, but finally succumbed to cancer at age of 63 on Oct. 20, touched the lives of many in the two communities he cared so much for – the Sonoma Valley and whole Valley of the Moon and the city of his birth and growing and stomping grounds, San Francisco.

While speaking from my heart, I know I’m sharing thoughts and feelings with a host of others who got to know Don in one or many capacities – for more insight read Bill Hoban’s touching, informative and straight-forward (how Don took on life’s challenges) Sonoma Index-Tribune story published Friday, Oct. 26.