A wonderful friend and husband, Don was born on April 8, 1929. Don graduated from Minden High School, Nebraska in 1947. He joined the Navy in 1950 as a radioman. He won a Nebraska skeet shoot contest at 16 and after the Navy, he raced motorcycles. He went to work for AT&T in 1953 and three years later was promoted to Kansas City, MO as an engineer and worked until he retired in 1985. While in Kansas City, Don was an avid outdoorsman, completed RAGBRI, the annual bicycle ride across Iowa, a number of times, two triathlons, floating and camping on most of southern Missouri rivers and streams, skiing in Denver numerous times, and rode a motorcycle by himself to Mexico and back. But his favorite trip was fishing and camping in Canada.
Don is survived by his brothers-in-law, Alden Meester, Ben and wife Terry Harrington, and Jerry Harrington; and sister-in-law, Janell and husband Mark Sonnenmoser. Other family members include nieces, Dawn Brannagan, Rachel Anderson, and Sunny Jansen; and nephews Kirk Meester, Scott Meester, Wes Harrington, Richard Sonnenmoser, and Alex Sonnenmoser; and lifelong friend Bill Reese.
Don was preceded in death by his wife, the love of his life, who he was married to for 38 years, Judy; his father and mother, Charles and Clara Parsons; sisters, Bettie Godfrey and Jane Meester, and sister-in-law Jona Harrington.
A funeral service for Don will occur on Friday, February 7, 2025 at 1:00 PM at Fairview Christian Church, 1800 NE 65th St, Kansas City, MO 64118. Don's final resting place will be Resurrection Cemetery.
