Donald L. Queen, age 70, of Mount Gilead, died early Monday morning, November 14, 2011, at his residence following a brief battle with cancer.
On October 15, 1941, Don was born in Mansfield, Ohio, the oldest of two sons of the late Harold and Lovene (Pocock) Queen.
He was raised on a farm in Johnsville, where he graduated from Johnsville High School in the Class of 1959.
Following graduation, Don was working on his uncle’s farm and at Peco in Galion, when in 1963 he was drafted into the U.S. Army. He honorably served his beloved country as a MP in the 66th MP Platoon at Oakland Army Base at the beginning of the Vietnam War.
Just before joining the Army, Don met a young lady, Barbara Ruhl, on the pier at Chippewa Lake in Mansfield. After taking a speed boat ride with friends, Don left that day knowing she was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. They had a short five month courtship with Don proposing before joining the Army, and returning to marry her while on leave on December 28, 1963. They then shared over 47 years together, and lovingly raised two children.
Upon his honorable discharge, Don returned home with his wife and resumed his job at Peco in Galion, where he helped build transformers. He stayed with the company through many acquisitions, as the company changed to North Electric, United Utilities, and ITT North, until his retirement. He had been promoted to being a supervisor there.
With a love for the outdoors, Don especially enjoyed riding motorcycles with Barbara, traveling most “everywhere east of the Mississippi on two wheels.” He was also eventually persuaded by his son into becoming a H.O.G. member, buying his first Harley in 2009. He was also a member of the NRA.
In his younger days, Don enjoyed hunting on the family farm and all around the Johnsville area.
For the last 5 years, Don and Barb have enjoyed being snowbirds, traveling to Sebring, Florida, for the winter months, where they enjoyed playing cards, shuffleboard, and shooting pool with friends they made down there.
To say Don was “particular” was quite the understatement, as he was truly “meticulous” when it came to his automobiles, motorcycles and tractors. He made sure there wasn’t even a speck of dust on his toys, and he made them always appear as if they were still brand new, even after using them for over 20 years.
An avid reader, Don especially enjoyed reading automotive magazines and western books.
He will be forever missed by his beloved wife, Barbara Queen of Mount Gilead; two children: David Queen of Virginia Beach, and Diane (Craig) Irwin of Mansfield; his precious granddaughter, Kylee Irwin; a brother, Bob (Diana) Queen; and a nephew, Steve (Kim) Queen, both of Mansfield.
Including his parents, Donald was preceded in death by his step-father, Richard H. Ruhl.
The Queen family will greet friends from 2 – 4 and 6 – 8 p.m. on Thursday, November 17, 2011, at the Snyder Funeral Home, 76 S. Main St., Mount Gilead. Services honoring his life will be observed privately by his family. Burial with military honors provided by the V.F.W. Post 8054 and AmVets Post 87 will be held in Shauck Cemetery in Johnsville.
Memorial Contributions may be made to the USO, P. O. Box 96322, Washington, DC 20090-6322. Snyder Funeral Homes of Mount Gilead is honored to have been chosen to serve Donald's family, and condolences may be expressed to them online by visiting www.snyderfuneralhomes.com.
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