Everyone loves a curmudgeon; especially one with a twinkle in his eye. The unique combination of personality traits that made Don the man to whom people were so attracted, and by whom they were sometimes baffled, were difficult to define. Nevertheless, the people who knew him enjoyed his special charisma.

Formal education was important for some, but not for Don. Even as a young man, experience was his learning tool of choice. His reliance upon learning through what many would call "the hard way", resulted in an excellent work ethic and tremendous drive to succeed.

Some of his most memorable years were spent in the Army. Though Korea was frightening, and its memory was often the source of wistful sighs, it may have been Don's ultimate learning experience. The recipient of several prestigious awards for combat, including the Purple Heart, Don learned to be resilient and disciplined. It was these qualities that allowed him to overcome adversity time and again throughout his life. Don had a way of making even the most stressful situations appear trivial. "Ahh, it'll give ya character" was one of his most frequent expressions.

Don's courage, and will to survive was surpassed only by his love of family and friends. His five children, and later in his life, his two step-sons, proved to be his most important relationships. All would agree that he was a great "Dad." Whether he was on the floor playing with the grandchildren, or fishing, boating, skiing, and camping with his older kids, he was always a tremendous teacher and friend. Around the dinner table, he led insightful discussions about business, stock market trends and comparisons to the "good old days". Don was always willing to talk about the experiences that made him successful in life, and his family was always willing to listen.

Prior to building Suburban Water Testing Labs, Don was the largest distributor of Lindsay water conditioning equipment in the country. Through years of dedication and hard work, Don became a local, and national authority on Water. Suburban Water is currently an international lab owned and run by the original chemist hired by Don. Challenge was paramount in his life. He found one, looked it straight in the eye and took it on. It gave him character.
Heart disease was Don's biggest challenge. Although it took his life in the end, Don won many of the battles. Doctors were baffled by the incredible stamina Don showed over the twelve years of his illness. Yet as they got to know Don, they began to understand how this disease needed all that time to bring this soldier down.

Donald died at home under the gentle care of his wife, daughters, sisters-in law (Anne and Barbara), sister (Martha), brother in law(Tom), daughter-in-law (Susan) and two step sons (Chad and Scott). All these caring people were present and involved in his last days because they wanted to give back to the man who had given them so much. He died peacefully, with dignity, and undeniably, with character.

We loved this curmudgeon deeply.