Last month, Instant RePlay reported on the passing of longtime Oregon industry veteran Mike Damtew. A beloved father, husband and community leader, Mike passed away suddenly from a heart attack on August 29, and his loss incurred both emotional and monetary costs for his family.
Friends have set up a Go Fund Me account on behalf of his wife Sonya to help cover the costs of his burial, and to set up a scholarship in his honor in his beloved city of Portland. The fund is asking for $50,000, a sum that will help cover the cost of Mike’s final trip to his homeland, Eritrea, where he was buried. Brian Duke, a longtime friend of Damtew, had these kind words to say:
This funeral photo shows the crowd in the small village in Eritrea where Damtew was buried.The Eritrean government arranged the funeral and over 3,000 people from his mother’s village attended to honor him.
“Michael was a rare man whose loyalty and dedication kept him in basically the same job through three company changeovers, first with Dunis Distributing in Portland before it was acquired by Music Vend and then later with Mountain Coin after they bought the Pacific Northwest offices.
“His wife Sonya has a Go Fund Me account set up to help defray the large expense of granting Michael’s last wish for burial,” Brian continued, “so, please donate if you can and keep her in your thoughts and prayers. I loved Michael like a brother. He was so giving and caring for everybody, a truly great man and friend to all. I will miss him more than words can express and my heart aches for all who were fortunate to know him. Please share this with everyone in the industry.” Brian is hoping to arrange some sort of tribute to Mike at the upcoming IAAPA show.
The Go Fund Me can be found here, RePlay would like to send condolences to Michael’s many friends and loved ones.
