MARSH, Donovan Delmer 1930-2015
MARSH, KNOOP
Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 5/2/2015 at 18:02:27
Donovan Delmer Marsh, 84, passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 5, 2015 with wife and family beside him at the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) Home in Mason City, Iowa. Funeral service: 10:30 a.m., Thursday, March 12, 2015 at the Greene Community Center, 202 W. South St., Greene. David Magner will officiate, with burial at Rose Hill Cemetery, Greene, and military honors provided by Tack-Barnett Post 268, American Legion of Greene. Visitation: 5 to 7 p.m., Wednesday, March 11, 2015, at Retz Funeral Home, 519 N. First St., Greene (641-823-4457; www.retzfh.com), with remembrance service at 7 p.m. Visitation will continue for one hour before the service on Thursday at the Green Community Center.
Don was born on September 2, 1930, in rural Scott Township, Floyd County, the son of Walter Glen and Doris Gertrude (Knoop) Marsh. He was educated in country school and graduated from Marble Rock High School in 1949.
After a semester of college at Iowa State University in Ames, Don enlisted in the United States Air Force in January 1950 and served with the 31st Air Division at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. He was a teletype/crypto-teletype machine mechanic and Post Exchange (PX) manager. While at Fort Snelling, Don met the love of his life, Air Force Staff Sergeant Thelma Christine Shupe, of Austinville, Virginia, who was a shift supervisor and teletype operator.
Don and “Chris” were married on August 8, 1953, in Hillsville, Virginia. They lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota, until Don was discharged from the Air Force in January 1955. They moved to Union Township, Floyd County, and began their farming business. They were blessed with a son, Craig Donovan and a daughter, Angela Christine. They enjoyed 54 years of life on the farm into Don’s retirement until 2009 when he had to seek nursing home care.
Don was a proud and long-time member of the National Rifle Association (NRA) and had a particular love of handguns. He was an expert pistol marksman and traveled with a competitive pistol team while serving in the Air Force.
Don also had a long-time interest in aviation. He became a licensed private and commercial pilot and created a crop dusting business. He was known to land his crop dusting plane anywhere there was the tiniest ribbon of a road, including the gravel road in front of his farm. He served as a charter pilot for the Charles City Airport and the Dwyer Flying Service in Mason City. He earned the advanced Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 135 instrument rating for commercial and “on-demand” pilots He had the opportunity to transport a number of luminaries in his piloting career, including Vice President Walter Mondale and Governor Jeb Bush of Florida.
Don appreciated music and studied piano for 10 years and played the tuba in the Marble Rock High School Band. Later in life, after many years of enjoying visits to his wife’s family in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Don became a student of the banjo and learned the old time claw-hammer and bluegrass style banjo. He enjoyed “jam sessions” with daughter Angela on the guitar or fiddle.
Don was regarded by family, friends and business partners as a fair and compassionate person. He was also widely known for his sense of humor and the twinkle in his eye.
Don is survived by his wife of 61-1/2 years, Chris; children Craig Donovan (Nancy) Marsh, Hong Kong; Angela Christine Marsh (Brian Leehan), Eagan, MN.; grandson Alexander Donovan Marsh Leehan; siblings: Dixon (Marlene) Marsh, Greene; Pat (Bill) Fluhrer, Charles City; Dennis (Nancy) Marsh, Mason City; aunt Ann Marsh, Mason City; many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.
Preceded in death by his parents and his sister-in-law, Margaret (Gage) Marsh.
Memorial may be directed to the Donovan Marsh Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 219, Greene, Iowa 50636.
Source: Retz Funeral Home website
Floyd Obituaries maintained by LaVern Velau.
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