Don, 88, died in Edmonds, Washington, on December 2, 2009. He was born January 3, 1921. Don was attending Montana State University in Missoula when he signed on as a jumper for the 1942 season. He was called to active duty on October 10, 1942 and served in the US Army stationed in the Aleutians until his discharge on December 5, 1945. After his discharge at the end of the war, he returned to smokejumping for the 1946-48 season.

Don was injured while working as a faller in Montana and moved to Washington where he worked on his parent's farm and various family businesses. He is buried at Evergreen Memorial Cemetery in Renton, Washington.