Donald J. Waldron 1932 - 2010

WALDRON

Posted By: N. Wagner (email)
Date: 9/22/2010 at 19:24:21

Word has been received of the July 13, 2010, death of Donald J. Waldron, 77, of Winter Park, Colo., formerly of West Union, Iowa.

A memorial service was held Saturday, Aug. 14, at the Church of Eternal Hills in Tabernash, Colo.

Donald J. Waldron was born Oct. 25, 1932, in West Union to George and Dorothy Waldron. He spent most of his childhood years in Sioux City and Omaha, Neb. He returned to West Union during high school, graduating from West Union High School in 1951.

Don received full scholarships in basketball and baseball to the University of Iowa. During the summer months of college, he played for a semiprofessional baseball team, The Legionnaires, in Mason City.

On Dec. 28, 1954, Don was united in marriage with his wife, Janice, in Ventura.

In his senior year of college, Don was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers, but was called to serve his country in the U.S. Air Force.

He graduated from the University of Iowa with a bachelor's degree in marketing before being sent to Texas to begin his Air Force training.

In 1957, the Air Force asked Don to travel to Laon, France, to be a navigator pilot with the Black Birds and play baseball for the Laon Rangers. The Rangers won the 1958 European Baseball Championships.

After the Laon Air Force Base was closed in 1960, Don and his family moved back to Clear Lake and Don worked at the Mason City hatchery.

Later moving to Colorado, the Waldrons operated the Timber House Ski Lodge in Winter Park for 35 years before retiring.

While in Winter Park, Don served as a board member of the Winter Park Water and Sanitation District and helped start the Winter Park Information Bureau.

In 2000, Don was named to The Fayette County Union's All-Century Football and Baseball Teams.

He was preceded in death by a son, Craig, and a brother, Richard.

Don is survived by his wife, Janice, of Winter Park, Colo.; sons Scott (Dorinda), Todd (Sherri), and Brian (Rita); and seven grandchildren.

Memorials may be directed to Heart of the Mountains Hospice, PO. Box 130, Hot Sulphur Springs, CO 80451.

Source: Fayette County Union - 14 September 2010