Donald Lewis Starkweather

  Age 86, of Lansing, Michigan, passed on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015, at The Willows Nursing Home in East Lansing. He was born December 13, 1928, in River Rouge, Michigan. He graduated from Lansing Sexton High School in 1947, and was a key player on Sexton’s 1946 state championship football team.

Donald was retired from the Federal Aviation Administration after 30 years of government service. Previous to that he served as a fireman in the East Lansing Fire Department, and served in the U.S. Navy from 1949-1953.

Donald was preceded in death by his parents Leland and Bernice “Johnnie” Starkweather, brothers Robert and Lloyd, and daughter-in-law Pamela.

He is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Patricia; his sisters, Wanda and Janet; his children, Phillip (Vickie) of Marietta, GA, Steven of Grand Ledge, MI, Gregory (Janet) of Jefferson, GA, Douglas (Beth) of Lansing, MI, and Laura Willoughby (Todd) of Eagle, MI; 13 grandchildren, Neil, Lindsay, Jacob, Tyler, Spencer, Ryan (Shawn), Kacie Spierling (Travis), Rachel Proue (T.J.), Ashley, Kristi, Robert, Zachary and Megan; and 4 great-grandchildren, Jenna, Duncan, Marley and Hannah.

Donald will be remembered as a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and favorite uncle. He was always ready with a joke, and was the life of everyone’s party.

The funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015, at the Estes-Leadley Greater Lansing Chapel. Visitation will begin at Noon. Interment will follow at Wacousta Cemetery in Wacousta, MI. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Lansing, Inc., in memory of Donald Starkweather.