Donald Longworth

Dearly loved, Don Longworth added much to the lives of others. As a devoted husband, dedicated father and grandfather, Don gave his all, and then some. He provided a wonderful foundation for his family while upholding his faith and values in the highest regard. He enjoyed living life to the fullest, and had a great appreciation for nature. Generous and kind, Don's personable nature and fun loving ways will be deeply missed and treasured. With a new and evolving mindset, the decade of the 1920s brought forth times of plenty along with years of hardship. The earlier part of the infamous Roaring Twenties, with new innovations, technological advances, and changing culture left many struggling in the later part of the decade. However, the year 1923 was an especially happy time filled with blessings in the lives of Henry and Chelsie (Raymond) Longworth. Born in Saginaw, Michigan, they welcomed their second son, Donald George into their hearts on February 10, 1923. Don's father worked in the family business, Raymond Products, a manufacturer of mobile homes and trailers. His mother remained at home as a homemaker, looking after Don and his older brother, Earl "Chum". Don enjoyed a typical childhood for the times and found his share of adventure as a young boy, too. He was quite involved in Boy Scouts, and attended boy scout camp every summer. He was also excited to have attended the first ever Boy Scout Jamboree held in Washington, D.C. Memorable times were shared as a family at their cottage on Little Killarney Beach in the Saginaw Bay area. Don held fond memories of spending many fun summer days there. While attending high school, Don met Marjorie Andrus who captured his heart. After graduating from Saginaw High School in 1941, Don went on to further his education at the University of Michigan - Go BLUE! where he received his Mechanical Engineering Degree in 1944. After graduation, he and Marjorie were married. They soon moved and settled in New York where Don worked for the Carrier Company for several years. They eventually returned to Saginaw where Don worked for several companies before joining the family business as the product and plant engineer. Before long, Don and Marjorie began a family of their own. Their daughter, Janet was born in 1950, followed by Susan in 1952. They raised their daughters in faith as longtime members of St. Pauls Lutheran Church where Don also served as the financial secretary for many years. They also enjoyed trips to the New York World's Fair, Washington, D.C., and reveled in the beauty of the Rocky Mountains and sandy beaches of Florida. Wonderful memories are a keepsake to behold as Don lived by example. He laid a solid foundation for his daughters, raised with solid principles, values, and faith. Don had a quiet faith and a spiritual sense for which he received guidance. Always a deep thinker, he earnestly believed the power from beyond gives each of us spiritual nudges which allows us to know things and become knowledgeable in present life circumstances, simply through opening our hearts and listening. Quite active in the Saginaw community, Don was especially involved in the Masons. He served as a past master and life member of the Salina Lodge 155 F, a life member of Chapter 31 RAM, the St. Bernard #16 Commandries and the Valley of Bay City Consistory. In 1969, after the family business was sold, Don became one of the founding partners in the First State Bank of Saginaw. He worked various jobs there, including branch manager until retiring in 1985. Don had an extraordinary appreciation of nature. He loved and found enjoyment in the water, sand, wind, stars, and storms. His joy came from being near the water, all while sunning and sipping on his gin with a bitter lemon. Never a beer man, he loved beach fires in the moonlight, watching for falling stars, and sailing his Sunfish on the bay. He loved watching the waves roll, and swimming the open waters, living completely and fully at every opportunity. Eventually, Don's marriage to Marjorie came to an end . He met Katherine "Kaki" Berg and fell deeply in love. Don and Kaki were blessed in marriage in 1975 at Christ Lutheran church in Las Vegas, Nevada. Along with her two daughters, Sue and Barbara, Don fully embraced Kaki and her girls completely into his life. After retiring, Don and Kaki moved to Mullett Lake near Cheboygan, Michigan. He enjoyed the water, and bought a fishing boat, canoe, and Sunfish in order to play on the water. He also liked to swim in the lake and having an evening drink on the beach. He made many new friends, and with a group of 6-8 couples, had monthly dinners. He also was a Hospice volunteer. He enjoyed taking care of the house and yard and was often seen on his riding lawnmower or snowblowing the driveway in the winter. They also did a good deal of traveling. They took inspiring trips to Europe, went on a cruise, and took a 6 week trip through the western states. Of all the places, Don really loved the Caribbean islands, especially Grand Cayman where he could relax and go snorkeling. He also liked to play video slots and as recently as 2010 made a trip to Las Vegas with Sue, Tony, Barb, and John to try his luck. After suffering a few issues with his heart, Don underwent heart bypass surgery in 1991. Eventually, they made Myrtle Beach their home for a few years before settling in The Villages in Florida in 1999. Don really liked it there, and they even found a Lutheran church they liked well there, too. They hosted family and friends and loved to take them on tours on the golf cart. He also was an active member of the wellness center, going there 6 days a week (and on the 7th day he went to church to thank the Lord), walking on the treadmill and using the NuStep machine, always wearing his Michigan maize and blue t-shirt. He attributed his long life to this activity. Don valued education and continued learning. He role modeled this by learning to use a Mac computer after he retired, getting some instructions from his 3 year old grandson, Joey, who taught him how to turn it off. He created calendars for neighbors, printed mailing labels, typed letters, and tracked his investments daily on a spreadsheet. He loved gadgets, and most recently was enchanted by atomic clocks, buying several for the home, as well as atomic watches. Don loved being a grandpa. Spending time with his grandchildren included some of his best times. He also had a penchant for writing. He wrote letters to his children and grandchildren for special occasions, like birthdays and graduations which will be forever cherished. He will be fondly remembered for his unending love of ice cream with chocolate sauce, and his evening cocktails, too. And the memory of his whistling whenever he was working on something will always be a constant reminder of this special man in their lives. As the years passed, Don began to slow down. At one point, he needed a pacemaker, but continued to keep as active as possible. In the Fall of 2012, he and Kaki moved back to Michigan to be close to their children. Just three days shy of his 90th birthday, Donald George Longworth died at the age of 89 on Thursday, February 7, 2012 at the Masonic Pathways Hospice in Alma, Michigan. SURVIVORS: Mr. Longworth is survived by his wife of 37 years, Katherine; daughters, Janet (Herman) Barber of Crown Point, Indiana and Susan (Richard) Smith of Bay City, Michigan; stepdaughters, Sue (Tony) Stempky of West Chester, Ohio and Barbara (John) Snyder of Saginaw, Michigan; grandchildren, Amy (Patrick) Ankenbruck, Catherine (Troy) Tolley, Joseph and Laura Stempky, Katherine, Mary and Jamie Snyder; great-grandchildren, Nathan and Rebecca Ankenbruck, Emily and Abigail Mackey. He was preceded in death by his brother, Earl "Chum" Longworth.