The Story of Don Hage: 100th Birthday Celebration (Trailer)

Don Hage turns 100 on August 23, 2025, and we’ll be celebrating his incredible birthday at the Capo Beach Cottages in San Clemente, CA—a place full of memories, including where my dad first met him.

Don was born in Arcadia, CA, and later moved to San Clemente, settling at the Capo Beach Cottages. My dad wanted to put together a small documentary to honor this remarkable man—someone with 39 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and loved by more people than we could possibly count.

We had the chance to visit with him at my dad’s house at the Capo Beach Cottages in San Clemente. His daughter Joanne was kind enough to bring him over. We had a great chat about life, and he inspired us to visit his current home in San Juan Capistrano—an assisted living facility where he now lives.

Although he gets around just fine and is as sharp as ever, he had to leave the Capo Beach Cottages when his unit was demolished due to slope erosion. His new room is filled with maps, letters, and photos—like a living time capsule.

During our visit, he shared some great stories, including a wild road trip to Mexico in a 1929 car. They packed three spare tires and a bunch of tools just in case. When I asked what the purpose of the trip was, he simply said, “Someone wanted to go to Mexico.” It was the 1940s, and while they were aware of “bandits” (as they were called back then), they didn’t have any run-ins.

He also showed us some home movies that were covered from super 8 reels to

DVD. We viewed some early moments with him and his kids as we ate

breakfast burritos and enjoyed his presence.

Be on the lookout for more to come as this is just a mini trailer for

Don’s legacy captured!