Donald Louis Humphrey

Men are sometimes judged by the amount of "toys" they have, but Donald Humphrey was an exception. He judged himself by his hard work ethic, his devotion to family and his love of nature and the outdoors. A man of strong character, Don was a dependable and devoted husband, father, grandfather and friend. Though the 1920s roared with jazz and flappers, many people were largely removed from the glitz and glamour associated with these times. This was particularly true for the Humphrey family of VanMeer, Michigan. Dan Humphrey earned a living working for the railroad, while his wife, Effie (Bauer), was a busy homemaker, raising their four children: Pearl, Ruby and twins Howard and Holly. On October 3, 1929, the couple made room in their hearts and home for their fifth child, son Donald Louis. When Don was three, his parents separated. His mother later married Wally Syers and they had a son together named Gary. The family moved to Hesperia a year later, but moved around the area quite a bit. They often lived like squatters in old abandoned houses. These were the days of the Great Depression and everything was hard to come by, including food. Sometimes, Don and his siblings would go into the nearby orchards to "borrow" food to feed their family. The family eventually put down roots in Muskegon, where Don attended the Puffer School through the 7th grade. At 15, Don decided to join the Army, and lied on his military papers about his age in order to enlist. He indicated in the papers that he had worked as a lumberjack in the Upper Peninsula for 4 years, however, with a 5 ft. 4 in. stature, he was a mighty "petite" lumberjack. After his mother found out he had enlisted, she told the authorities about his age, but eventually gave her permission for him to stay in. While stationed in Kentucky, Don learned to drive a truck. Then after his discharge in 1946, he went to work at the Fisher Auto Body Plant in Flint, Michigan. It was during this time that Don met the love of his life, Patricia Perkins, who was a waitress at a local restaurant. The couple was happily married on April 14, 1950, and bought their first home together on River Road. Don joined the Operating Engineers Local 324 and became a Heavy Equipment Operator. He soon learned to operate heavy machinery of all kinds, including cranes and bulldozers. As part of the Union, Don had to go wherever there was work, which meant a lot of traveling. He worked on various projects throughout the state, including on the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit, the Pump Storage Electrical Facility in Ludington and pipeline work. He also worked for Erickson Crane in Muskegon on occasion. Additionally, Don started his own excavating company in the late 1960s. In the early 1970's, Don proved himself a real hero with the crane. While working in downtown Grand Rapids, he was holding up a concrete wall when the earth beneath his crane collapsed. He managed to stay at the controls, despite the crane tipping all the way over, saving the lives of numerous co-workers. His heroic actions were duly noted on the television news and in area newspapers. Most of the time when Don traveled for work, Patricia would accompany him and they'd live out of cheap motels or sleep in the car when money ran low. In 1960, the couple became first time parents with the arrival of their son, Donald Jr., who was joined three years later by their second son, Kieth, in 1963. After the boys came, Patricia stopped traveling with Don, to stay home and raise the boys well. In 1965, they built a large home on Giles Road in Laketon Township, where they happily raised their sons and shared many wonderful memories as a family. Every summer, the family headed to the U.P. and Munising to visit relatives, and did some camping while there too. In later years, Don bought a piece of property up there to use and enjoy on their summer visits. In addition to this property, Don owned a lot on White River in Hesperia, right next to his brother Gary and stepfather Wally's lots. Many unforgettable summers were spent camping with relatives on the lots, with some fishing in the lake and mini bike rides in the gravel pits nearby. Some of the less exciting times Don Jr. remembers as a kid was the much-dreaded Sunday trips to visit relatives, which he says was boring. In 1980, Don underwent open-heart surgery, and was required to slow down a bit. Tragically, Don and Patricia lost their son, Kieth, after a car accident in 1986. Being very close to his son Kieth, Don was devastated and always felt "you're not suppose to bury your kids." Don finally retired from work in 1990, but was able to live vicariously through his son, Don Jr., who also became a Heavy Equipment Operator. Don would call his son regularly to talk about his work and current projects. Lucky for Don, his son and his family lived right next door, which meant his grandchildren were always nearby. Like a good grandpa, he would "spoil them rotten" and send them on home. His daughter-in-law, Kim, said, "Don was a stubborn and stern man" and often jokingly called him "Billy goat gruff." Yet, she also knew his soft side, particularly when he was around his grandchildren. Don was a man who always spoke his mind, and often got his point across by pounding on the table a bit. He had old school thinking about women and their place in the world. Still, Don adored his beloved wife, Patricia, and they shared a wonderful marriage for 57 years. The day he married Patricia was the greatest of his life. For the last couple of years, Don and Patricia had failing health, and after Don was diagnosed with cancer, they moved to the Brookhaven Medical Care Facility. Sadly, Don died a month later. Don was a devoted husband, father and grandfather, and will be missed by all who knew and loved him. Donald Louis Humphrey, age 77, died Tuesday, February 6, 2007. He is survived by his wife, Patricia; son, Donald (Kim) Humphrey, Jr. of Hesperia; 3 grandchildren: Rachel Humphrey, Eric Humphrey and Jessica Humphrey; a great grandchild, Matthew Rogers; and brother, Gary ( Virginia ) Syers of New Era. He was preceded in death by his son, Kieth. A funeral service will be held for Don on Sunday, February 11, at 1:00 p.m. at Clock Chapel with Pastor Gary Lacy officiating. Interment at Laketon Township Cemetery. A time of visitation will be held on Saturday, from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. at Clock Life Story Funeral Home in Muskegon. Memorial contributions may be made to Harbor Hospice. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory of Don or sign the online guestbook.