Gilbert Tonkin Memorial Fund

Gilbert Tonkin 6/14/1962-10/23/2024. He was a devoted husband, an amazing father, and a truly involved pop to Brayden. My parents met in 1979 and were married in 1982. They spent 45 years by each other’s side, raising kids, building a home, sharing adventures, being grandparents, and experiencing all the good, bad, ugly and beautiful life has to offer. My sister and I had 36 years with one of the most incredible fathers this world has seen. There wasn’t a single thing that our dad wouldn’t show up for, help us with, or teach us. He was the kind of dad I could call up and ask to drive 6 hours round trip on a moments notice because I wanted to ride bike trails or go to Home Depot and he would always say yes without hesitation. He never missed a sporting event of Brayden’s, even through chemo and radiation and their favorite place was Coos Bay on the dunes. He was also the type of person who would be a bonus dad or pop to anyone who came into our lives, most importantly his bonus son Pete who was a friend I brought home for thanksgiving one year and genuinely became an addition to our family. He was incredibly talented, my parent’s house is the proof of that. There wasn’t anything he couldn’t create, build, or fix and he taught Rikki, Brayden, and I so many of those skills. He was truly one of the best. We want this fund and scholarship to honor his memory.