Hadley, Donald Edward Gjertson, retired UMass professor and longtime resident of Hadley, died unexpectedly at his home on September 2.  He was 72.  Don is survived by Misako, his beloved wife of 46 years; his two sons Carl and wife Erica of Simsbury, CT, and Niels of San Francisco, CA; and two grandchildren Jacob and Claire.

Don was born on April 30, 1945, to Elmer and Mina Gjertson, and grew up in Moses Lake, WA.  He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1965 and served until 1968, attaining the rank of Sergeant.  He graduated from the University of Washington in 1970 and received a Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1975.  He served as a professor of Chinese at the University of Massachusetts for 36 years, as well as the Department Chair of Asian Languages and Literatures and an Assistant Dean at the College of Humanities and Fine Arts Advising Center.

Don was a devoted father and husband, a respected teacher and scholar, and an avid hiker and backpacker — he was proud to have climbed Mount Fuji in Japan, Jade Mountain in Taiwan, Mount Whitney in California, Mount Rainier in Washington, and all the high peaks of the Adirondacks, Catskills, and White Mountains.  His wit, wisdom, and warmth will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

Calling hours will be Friday, September 8, 2017 from 6-8 pm at the Douglass Funeral Service, 87 N Pleasant St, Amherst.  A memorial service will be held at 10 am on Saturday, September 9, at the First Congregational Church of Hadley, 102 Middle St. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (jdrf.org).