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May 28, 1927 - Apr 27, 2014
It is with great sadness to announce that Donald Paul Spaulding, 86, of South Bend, passed away at 4:10 am Sunday, April 27, 2014 after an extended illness.
Don’s life began on May 28, 1927 in South Bend when he was born to the union of Elmer Louis and Ethel Anne (Baker) Spaulding. He graduated from Central Catholic High School’s Class of 1945.
On June 30, 1967 in South Bend, he married the love of his life and high school sweetheart, Jeanette Lucille Bowman. They first met when they were 13 years old, so they shared many memorable years together.
Don retired from Whitehall Laboratories in Elkhart, IN on June 1, 1982 as production supervisor after 20 years of service. He was previously employed by the Studebaker corporation.
In addition to his loving wife, Jeanette, Don is survived by a brother, Bernard J. Spaulding of Ft. Collins, CO; sister, Agnes M. Wiley of South Bend; nephews, Bernard J. Spaulding, Jr. and David M. Spaulding of Ft. Collins, CO and Robert L. Spaulding of Rutherford, NJ; niece, Deborah Potts of Bath, England; great nephews, Zachary Spaulding of Ft. Collins, CO and Jack Potts of Bath, England; and great nieces, Lindsay Spaulding of Rutherford, NJ and Sasha and Haleigh Spaulding of Ft. Collins, CO.
He was preceded in death by his father, Elmer Louis Spaulding on February 13, 1978; his mother, Ethel Anne (Baker) Spaulding on April 28, 1991; and a nephew, Carl R. Wiley on January 12, 1976.
Don joined the Army Air Force while in his senior year of high school, with the understanding that he would not be called until after graduation. He was inducted at Camp Atterbury on July 9, 1945 during World War II. He received basic training at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, MS. He was stationed at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, CO and Fort Bragg, NC before leaving for Seattle, WA for overseas duty in Tachikawa, Japan. While stationed in Japan, Don was assigned to the Japan Air Material Area (JAMA), transporting supplies in and out to the troops. On March 27, 1947, he was honorably discharged at Fort Sheridan, IL.
Don was a loving son, husband, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin and friend. He was known for his dedication to family and was there to help anyone whenever he was needed. Don was a genuine friend and could always be relied on to be there for them. He always put everyone else before himself and sacrificed much of his life caring for others. Don will be greatly missed by those who knew him as a loving, generous, humble and gentle gentleman with a loving heart and soul.
Don was an avid reader and retained everything he read. His love for animals, nature, creation, the world and history of the United States prompted him to collect volumes of books on these and many subjects. His mind was always thirsting for the next subject to explore. Although he was an interesting and intelligent person, he was very humble and never flaunted it. Don believed in “live and let live,†and treated everyone with the same degree of respect; never being judgmental or critical of anyone.
In his early years, Don liked to fish, hunt and travel. He learned to appreciate football while playing in high school and was an enthusiastic fan of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears and later followed Peyton Manning to the Denver Broncos. He also enjoyed the Indy 500, where he attended frequently. Don was very active in scouting and spent many years taking scout troops on long trips to the Black Hills, Smokey Mountains and local trips to the Lake of the Woods near Bremen.
Don’s interest in traveling took him and Jeanette to many beautiful and interesting places during their 46 years of marriage. He was a loyal member of St. Matthew’s Cathedral and earned a 3rd degree in the Knights of Columbus Council #553.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 am Friday, May 2, 2014 in St. Matthew’s Cathedral, 1701 Miami Street, South Bend, IN 46613. Graveside services and burial will follow at St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park, Granger. Friends may visit with the family from 4:00 - 7:00 pm Thursday, May 1, 2014 in the Palmer Funeral Home - Hickey Chapel, 17131 Cleveland Road, South Bend. |