Donald Leroy Sundberg

Donald LeRoy Sundberg, 79, died at the HospiceCare Center of Boulder and Broomfield Counties on April 30, 2010, of cancer. Don was born July 19, 1930 in Milliken, Colorado, the son of Roy and Ruth (Swanson) Sundberg. He grew up on a farm near Johnstown, and like most farm youth was an active 4-H Club member. Don was valedictorian of the Johnstown High School Class of 1948, Student Council President, quarterback of the football team, and lettered in three sports.He attended the University of Colorado from 1948 to 1950. At the beginning of his junior year he enlisted in the Air Force Aviation Cadet program. In October 1951, he received his pilot's wings, was commissioned, and began a 20-year career in the Air Force. As a B-29 pilot he served a tour of duty in Guam in 1952. Late in the Korean War he flew nineteen air-refueling missions in a KB-29 tanker from a Japanese base. After the Korean War he trained and transitioned into jet aircraft and was rated as a pilot, a navigator, and a radar officer. As the pilot of a B-47 bomber, he was assigned to the Strategic Air Command (SAC), training and serving on alert duty at both U.S. and European bases, primarily in Spain and England.Don married Gretchen Gutschall in VanMeter, Iowa, March 23, 1958. They had three sons who grew up in various places where Don was assigned by SAC, including New Mexico, New Hampshire, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Nebraska. He flew a number of different aircraft during his career, including B-29's, B47'sm F-102's and the B-58 ""Hustler"", a supersonic bomber capable of flying at 1300 mph, or twice the speed of sound. In 1968 he spent a year in South Korea, where he served as the Air Operations' Officer of the United States Forces Joint Command and for which he was awarded the Joint Forces Commendation Medal. His last posting was as a staff pilot at Strategic Air Command Headquarters at Offutt AFB in Omaha.In 1970, Don retired from the Air Force with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and moved with his family to Longmont. Don earned a Realtor's License and was associated with the Dworak agency until 1976. He worked for Golden Van Lines as an estimator and in customer relations for eleven years. From 1990 to 1995 he drove a school bus for the St. Vrain Valley School District. He was a long time member of the Fox Hill Country Club. He loved golf, jazz music, attending CU football and Rockies games, and reunions of the 509th Bomb Wing. On February 23, 1985 he married Leslyn Byers Eubanks at Faith Lutheran Church in Johnstown, Colorado.Don is survived by three sons: Jim (Claudia) Sundberg of Longmont, Colorado, John Sundberg of Longmont, Colorado and Greg (Heidi) Sundberg of San Diego, California; three grandsons, Michael Sundberg, Max Sundberg, and Zachary Sundberg; a brother Del (Shirley) Sundberg, of Loveland; seven cousins; a niece and two nephews; and former wives Gretchen Cartwright and Leslyn Sundberg. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, David Sundberg.Memorial services will be on Wednesday, May 5, 10:00 a.m. at Howe Mortuary, 439 Coffman St., with Vicar Ann Sundberg. Cremation has been entrusted to Howe Mortuary and Cremation Service. Inurnment will be at Fort Logan National Cemetery. Memorials may be made in his memory to HospiceCare of Boulder and Broomfield Counties, 2594 Trailridge Drive East, Suite A, Lafayette, CO 80026