Don Rackleff
Hugh McDonald “Don” Rackleff of Yachats
May 25, 1940 – Aug. 13, 2026
Hugh McDonald “Don” Rackleff of Yachats died Aug. 13, 2026, at the age of 86.
Don was a spirited storyteller, endlessly curious, brilliantly capable and a creative problem solver who loved a challenge. He was a gardener, skydiver, free diver and a scientist. He will be deeply missed.
Don was born in Coos Bay, Ore. on May 25, 1940, to Hugh and Betty Rackleff. He joined the Army at 18, then worked his way through college, earning his bachelor’s degree in biology from San Francisco State College. Along the way, he began free diving and spear fishing along the Oregon, Washington, and California coasts, which became a lifelong passion.
He entered a Master of Fisheries program at the University of Washington, piloting vessels to Alaska and conducting research there as well as at Catalina Island off the California coast and served as dive master on the Stanford University research vessel Te Vega.
Don then moved to Portland, where he worked as a chemist and began to develop an interest in gardening. By 1972, gardening had become more than just a passing hobby and he purchased land up the Yachats River to pursue it full time. There he built a beautiful home using wood off the land and established Ortolan Gardens, one of the coast’s first organic market gardens. Beginning at farmers markets, he eventually delivered sustainably farmed vegetables and herbs to restaurants along the Oregon coast for more than three decades.
Don loved the oceans and forests of the Oregon coast and delighted in each day he spent outside in his garden. He also loved to travel and sharing his stories and his laugh with those around him.
Don is survived by his wife, Janet Rackleff of Yachats, his daughter Emily Rackleff, son-in-law Chris Reid and two grandchildren, Rosa and Hugh of Boston, and a sister, Sally Smith of Canby, as well as nieces, friends, and extended family.
His home and garden are his legacy, and a celebration of life will be held at Ortolan Gardens at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27. Please bring a story to share.
Donations in his name can be made to Friends of Family Farms or the Yachats library.
Emily & Janet –
What a beautifully written tribute to Hugh. It is a joy reading and learning about his life and all of his passions! Through Emily, I’ve always known him to be an incredibly hard worker and have loved hearing about the home and gardens he built. Wishing you all peace through this time and I hope you find any heaviness lifted by happy memories of him.
Love, Kelly Golia and family