Donald James Mercer
Donald James Mercer, 84, died August 16, 2026. Don was born April 30, 1942, the fourth and youngest child of Dorothy (Lechnir) and Harvey Mercer in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. He graduated from Campion Jesuit High School in Prairie du Chien, and attended the University of Wisconsin, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. He then moved to Lansing, Michigan and worked his entire career at the Michigan Department of Transportation, mostly in the field of traffic safety.
At MDOT Don became enamored with a cute young secretary, Mary Jo Isbell. After a classic interoffice romance, they wed on August 23, 1969 and enjoyed a marriage of just over 50 years until Mary Jo passed away on November 10, 2019. Mary Jo and Don had three children, daughter Wendy and sons Robert (Lisa) and Thomas (Peter).
Don earned a Masters degree in Civil Engineering at Michigan State University and was a registered Professional Engineer. He was a past-president of the Lansing Jackson Branch and of the Michigan Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and was the last remaining active charter member of the Transportation Toastmasters club. He won national awards with both organizations.
He was a long-time member of St. Mary Cathedral parish in Lansing and over the years held various volunteer positions for the parish. In retirement, he served as a tax preparer for the AARP Tax Consulting for the Elderly. Don was an ardent Lugnuts fan since the team came to Lansing and was an active member of the Lugnuts Booster Club.
He is survived by his children and by his sister Marianne Welsh, his brother Jack, and his sister Janet Loforte.
Don was a man who deeply loved his family and loved spending time with them. He always had kind words to say about everyone he met. Don was a quiet man, gentle and kind, who preferred working in the background to help make other peoples’ lives better.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 am Friday, August 21, 2026, at St. Mary Cathedral, 219 Seymour Ave., Lansing, with the Rite of Committal in Evergreen Cemetery. Visitation will be at the Estes-Leadley Greater Lansing Chapel from 6:00 to 8:00 pm Thursday. Online condolences may be left for his family at www.EstesLeadley.com.
5 Messages to “Donald James Mercer”
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Marianne Mercer Welsh
August 17, 2026 at 4:10 pmDon was my dearly loved little brother. We will miss him so much. He was such a kind person who never missed sending me a birthday card or a very thoughtful Christmas gift. Although we lived a , long distance apart, Don always made it a point to come the distance for family events. He had many health problems during the past year, but never complained and did what he could to follow doing everything the doctors recommended. Rest in peace, dear Brother.
Dave Korman
August 19, 2026 at 8:06 amDon was my supervisor at MDOT Traffic & Safety for several years and he was a great person to work for. In later years we would talk at Lugnut games. My grandma was from an area in Wisconsin not that far from where Don grew up.
Janet loforte
August 20, 2026 at 11:51 amDon was a wonderful brother and friend to me. We were close in age and I will always remember the fun we had together, playing, joking, getting in trouble together. He was a great and special brother, quiet strength, proud of his family, and remarkably intelligent. He had numerous health challenges in later life which he handled quietly and with great courage. He had many hobbies when he was younger which he enjoyed…he even had a radio show on WPRE when he was a young teenager! A man of many talents and interests and a staunch supporter of the Lansing Lugnuts. I will miss him greatly.
I, along with many others, will cherish the memories of this lovely person. I will miss him.
Mike Mercer
August 23, 2026 at 1:53 pmSorry for the loss of Uncle Don. Although I was not able to see him in the past several years, I have plenty of fun memories of Don and his family in Michigan, Rhinelander and Prairie. I will always remember him as a very kind, witty and intelligent man. Mike
Joseph Meszaros
August 24, 2026 at 3:20 pmI got to know Don when we bowled on the same team in the Highway League. Don was a very quiet person, but friendly and nice.
Don was always known as one of the smartest engineers in the Traffic and Safety Division.
Several years later, I became the boss in the Unit where Don was one of the supervisors. Being a quiet person, at first, he didn’t say much. The other people in the unit were always talking.
So, I put in the Don Rule, the other supervisors could only speak once then Don could speak and everyone had to listen. Don had a talent for talking about ideas that we hadn’t thought of. He had a way of coming up with different ideas. Those ideas made us look at solutions differently.
I began to invite staff to my house, including wives or significant others for a Christmas party. That is where I met Mary Jo.
Don never let things upset him at work.
Whenever I went to Lugnut games, I made sure that I went over and talked to Don and Mary Jo.
I am so sorry for your loss.