Doggone it! Another respectable Darke countian has left our midst this past week.
What a character, but a great man! I got acquainted with him while working at my first newspaper job and our paths crossed a number of times over the years.
Not only did he work for the Darke County Sheriff’s Department, but subsequently became a bailiff for the Darke County Courthouse, which his where I probably ran into him the most as I had covered various court cases.
I knew he was a great man, but I was even more convinced after I read his obituary. It said he was 4 years old when his father passed away and that instilled him to work hard in his life. His work ethic is something to admire, as indicated in the obituary.
”From a young age, he took on the role of “man of the house”, a title he wore with pride and dedication throughout his life. By the age of 9, Don was working odd jobs around town to help support his mother.”
Because of the family income at the time, Don decided to help.
”Don began working for local painters at age 13; at 16, he started his own painting business and bought his first truck. He also worked part-time for the street department and water board in Gettysburg. Don ultimately left high school to care for his mother, who was blind for the last 40 years of her life—a testament to his loyalty and compassion.”
He later joined the State Highway Department, then began in law enforcement with the Greenville Police Department, and then transitioned to the Darke County Sheriff’s Department, marking the beginning of a long and devoted law enforcement career.
He also began playing Santa Claus in and around the area…for more than 30 years!
Through the years, he was involved in solving a couple of criminal investigations and was featured in write-ups for doing so.
After he stepped down from law enforcement in the late 1970s, he accepted a position with the Ohio Department of Transportation as maintenance superintendent and later transferred to the Utilities Permit section in Sidney, overseeing eight counties. After those 32 years of public service, he retired on April 30, 1988.
It was after that that he accepted the role of bailiff for Judges Lee Bixler and Jonathan P. Hein at the courthouse and served them until October 2001 when he officially retired.
Yes, I would say he was also a great son to his mother, who died in 1993, not to mention a great husband to the woman he married, Debbie Collins, in 1999.
He was known all over for his pranks and shenanigans, and that didn’t stop him wherever he went. I enjoyed reading the comments people wrote about him after his obituary appeared in print.
I, too, was one of his targets. Even after he and Deb moved to Winchester, Ind., I got phone calls from him. Well, the first time and several other times when I would receive these phone calls, he would introduce himself as Bill Clinton. It stumped me the first time, but after that, I knew just about what to expect.
It was a great hearing from him, though. He would always let me know his wife’s birthday was coming up, so that I would put it in my column and I obliged.
My son, Jamie, remembers Don calling him when he was a patient at Wayne Hospital for nearly a week in 2007. Don was that type of guy; he was concerned about others. Jamie respected him for that.
Some of the other remarks I had seen about Don after his obituary appeared included “a good guy,” “a great friend,” “a polite man,” and a lot of “he will be missed” sentiments.
Be sure and read his obituary. I was amazed.
I know Deb is sure to miss him and I send condolences to her from Jamie and me.
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Son Jamie wants me to thank everyone who supported him with kind words during the recent passing of his uncle and my brother Ron Moody and of Hulk Hogan.
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Jamie and I also extend our condolences to the families and friends of: Don Shilt, Cheryl Peters, Rise Labig, Ruth Kepler, Glenna Sue Guerrero, Donald Thomas Wills, Stanley Ray, Irene Lochtefeld, Mary Lou DeMange, Shirley Bowers Weimer and Hulk Hogan.
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Please pray for Clarence “Sam” Wilker, Chuck Cruze, Vicki Wilker Gibson, John Gibson, Roan Brubaker, Vic Bothast, Bill Thomas, Tom Brewer, Todd Anderson, Dawn Dilworth, Carol Schuh, Sunni Jones, Eddie Anjos, Gloria Hodge, Ralph Byrd, Jeff Brocious, Norma Kretschmar, Beth Davis, Terry Overbay, Michelle Young, Terry “T.A.” Anthony, Jason Kelch, Corinna Alexander, Katie Cothran, Lynne Bruner Hinshaw, Tom Everhart, Donn Thornhill, Carissa Rodriguez, Kevin Christman, Ivan Christian, Roger Fleckenstein, Bob Jackson, Penny Hopkins, Sherry Lawrence, Jerry Gower, Barbara Alexander, Kierra Reichert, Evelyn Manning, Becky Shultz, Kevin Schlechty, Darla Printz Whittaker, Roan Brubaker, Sandy Partin, Sandy Gunckle, Tonya Kelly, Jody Christman, Robert Christman, Mike Hopkins, Bob Christian, Linda Johnston, Terri Hunt, Patricia Maier, Ken Wombold, Dan Lockhart, Delores Beisner, Jodi Gilpin Snyder, Charlie Bulcher, Charlyee Severance, Justin Fritz, DeWayne Yohey, Katrina Hoening, Kara Didier, Carl Francis, Craig “Cheese” Thompson, Bridget Brown, Don DeBord, Otis Stewart, Slug Midlam, Bob Peters, Judy Collins, Linda Gasper, Carol Hemmerich, Roberta Hall, Kelly Kelch, Mike Mayse, Nikole Baldridge, Mark Lovejoy, Judy York, Connie Stachler, Randy Heck, Ronnie Norton, Gary Eichler, David Pretzman, Clinton Randall, Bruce Kaiser, Amanda Mote, Doug Whittington, Neal Gray, Randy Garrison, Kathy Gragorace, Donna Bixler, Cathy Melling and all others who are suffering from other life-altering illnesses.
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Happy birthday:
Aug. 5 to Todd Brumbaugh, Kim Klipstine, Toni Wombold, Terri Hall, Marilyn McEldowniey, Jo Kremer Langenkamp, Carla Lynn Hill-Clark, Adam Klipstine and Tara George.
Aug. 6 to Cindy Lovejoy, Rita Leis, Troy Gasper, Laura Hile Turner, Dan “Slug” Widener, Tia Rhoades and Renata Simmons.
Aug. 7 to Shelba Kelly, Rick Hyatt, Allen Newbauer, Dave Fitzgerald, Allen Newbauer, Barb Hess and Ken Rinderle.
Aug. 8 to Ty Gasper and Dick Billenstein.
Aug. 9 to Kathy Wagner, Jason Billenstein, Kim Ward, Steven Garland, Lisa Miller, Robin Grice and Barbara Westgerdes.
Aug. 10 to Tammy Subler Morrison, Tom Lawson, Krista Widener, Ryan Cox and Keith “Slick” Schlechty.
Aug. 11 to Stanley Duncan, Gary Middleton, John Farmer and Emily Peters Smith.
Happy anniversary to: Hugh and Melinda Linebaugh on Aug. 10 and Randy and Mindy Ward on Aug. 11.
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Think about it: You can be rich in spirit, kindness, love and all those things that you can’t put a dollar sign on.”–Dolly Parton
