Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1500026
33 S U M M E R Q 2 I S S U E C A M B E R N the magazine's infancy, while Lee handled everything else, from design to funding to printing. "The magazine now has a new name [CineMontage], but its foundation was built by a small team under Donn's wise guidance. He was a powerful force for good at the Editors Guild, and we will miss him." K u ta k e c h o e d C o h e n's s e n t i m e n t s, adding "The strides the union made during this time were due in no small part to Donn's vision, which was born of, in his words, the 'desire to give back.' Donn certainly did so. He is greatly missed." When Lisa Churgin, ACE, took over as president following Cambern, she wanted to carry on his mission that focused on offering more services to the membership, noting that under current president Alan Heim, ACE, this support has continued. "It would make Donn so happy to know about all of the committees and opportuni- ties that are available to members today," she said. "This was all very much part of Donn's dream." A legacy of love and kindness While Cambern's professional life was full of accolades (including an ACE Career Achievement Award in 2004) and service, including two stints as vice president on the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1990-94 and 1997-99, he also had a busy family life at home. His daughter Sharon was diagnosed ear- ly in life with what is now known as autism spectrum disorder, at a time when little was known about the condition or how to best support people living with the diagnosis. His wife, Pat, made it her life's mission to ad- vocate for Sharon and others on the autism spectrum, especially in terms of access to education and sustainable care. Her tireless advocacy work helped in creating and pass- ing legislation in 1957 for the Short-Doyle program in California, which is now part of the Medi-Cal program's community mental health services. For Carol Littleton, ACE, who served as Guild president before Cambern and as vice president during his tenure as president, his passion for his daughter's access to quality medical care through the union was part of what made his work at the Guild personal. "He was very patient, but had a strong hand," she said. "He felt that if we work together, we can get it done." H i s l a te r ye a r s w e re m a r ke d b y a n opportunity to reinforce his love of Pat and his children – and of storytelling. He shared that passion for his craft through his support of his son, Clay, who became an accomplished assistant picture editor (NBC's "Grimm") in his own right. Upon her retirement from teaching, Pat was able to join Donn on movie locations in Mexico and Western Europe, reinforcing her deep love of art, history, and archeology, while he served as a teacher and mentor to the next generation of film editors as senior filmmaker-in-residence at the American Film Institute (AFI). "With Donn, his storytelling talents were not just on screen, but in every word, and frankly, in how he saw the world," Smith Holley said. "His voice was like velvet, and his words were gentle and kind. When he was talking to you with that smile and sparkle in his eye, you felt he was telling you about something so important to him – and you were special for being the one told." Cambern passed away on January 18, 2023 at the age of 93. He was preceded in death by his wife, Pat in 2018, and their son, Clay, in 2011. He is survived by his children, Sharon and Wade, his grandson Ka'imi Ka- hikina Cambern, his nieces Joyce Buekers and Linda Williams, and numerous friends and colleagues. A m e m o r i a l i s p l a n n e d fo r M a y. I n lieu of flowers, readers should consider donating to the care of Donn and Pat's daughter, Sharon Lee Cambern, via Venmo, @SharonCambern. ■ Kristin Marguerite Doidge is the author of "Nora Ephron: A Biography." Cambern in a 1970 passport photo. Donn and Patty with son Wade and daughter Sharon.