Donald Robert Thuis Sr.

Donald was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Marilyn Thuis; his parents, Frank and Bernadine Thuis; his son-in-law, Robert “Bob” Nier; and his stepdaughter, Christina Pierce.

He is survived by his children, Donald (Debbie) Thuis Jr., Lori (Dan) Gonzalez, Donna "Renee" Nier, and Vikki (Ken) Payne; his stepchildren, Jim (Jessica) Wroblewski and Yvonne Wroblewski; and his cherished grandchildren, Veronica, Alexandra, Dominic, Christopher, Jessica, Danielle, Randi, Robert, Dalton, Jacob, Aaron, Siler, Violet, Travis, Joey, James, and Ashley, along with numerous great-grandchildren.

Donald proudly served his country in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War. Following his service, he built a career with Harcros Pigment in East St. Louis, Illinois, where he eventually retired.

He had a lifelong passion for bowling and was widely respected in the sport. He was inducted into the IHSA Hall of Fame for bowling and was a charter member and president of the Metro East Men's 700 Bowling Club. He also served as commissioner of the Metro East Masters Bowling League and as a board member of the Tri-County USBC. In addition, he was a past president of the Moose Lodge in Caseyville, Illinois.

Outside of bowling, Donald loved fishing, especially “where the fish were biting.” He was a devoted fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and remained proud of his St. Louis Rams collection. He enjoyed watching all sports and even coached a high school girls basketball team at Roberts High School in Newport, Rhode Island.

Family and friends are invited to attend a visitation on April 28, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Lake View Funeral Home, 5000 North Illinois Street, Fairview Heights, Illinois. A funeral service will follow at 12:00 p.m. at the same location.

A committal service will take place immediately afterward at Lake View Memorial Gardens, where Donald will be laid to rest with full military honors.

Memorial donations may be made to JB Patriot Pantry, 74 Kearney Street, St. Louis, MO 63125. https://jbpatriotpantry.org