Donald Allan Poland

Donald Allan Poland, 92, of San Antonio, Texas passed away peacefully on Easter Sunday. He was preceded in death by his loving wife of 67 years, Bonnie (Charlton) Poland. Don is survived by daughter Donna Lee (Tom) Jones, Spring, Texas; son Don Jr. (Diane), Bradenton, Florida; daughter Debra Lynn (Mike) Byrnes, Helotes, Texas; 13 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren,and sister, Margo (John) Cordes, DeBary, Florida. Don was born in Springfield, Ohio during the Great Depression. He was the middle child in a family of seven children of Frances J. Ervin and Lewie E. Poland.

Don grew up in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania and graduated from Aliquippa High School in 1949. He attended the University of Michigan and The University of Pittsburgh, where he earned a 4-year honor scholarship. During his time at The University of Pittsburgh, he was active in The Pitt Players theatrical group as the lead role in many of the productions. It was in his role as “Billy Budd” in the Herman Melville classic that he met the love-of-his-life, Bonnie.

Don majored in English and minored in French and at commencement in 1953 at The University of Pittsburgh, was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force. Don had four years of training in Air Force ROTC.

He proposed to Bonnie on their second date, and they were married in August 1953 in Heinz Chapel on the campus of The University of Pittsburgh. Don served two years on active duty with the Air Force as a public information officer at a major air command headquarters.

In his forty-year career, Don worked for two large corporations, Westinghouse Electric and Rockwell International in corporate communications in Baltimore, Maryland and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He handled media relations, issued news releases, wrote speeches for executives, and edited company publications. Virtually every career assignment involved writing. Prior to retirement in 1992, Don traveled overseas often to countries where his company had a major presence. Oftentimes, he would conduct his business meetings in French as he was a fluent speaker.

Although Bonnie and Don’s courtship was brief (2 dates), they enjoyed a lifetime of happiness together. One of their favorite things to do together was travel and they always managed to find a casino during their travels.

Don was a prolific writer and equally talented storyteller. Following retirement from the corporate world, he spent years researching family heritage and genealogy resulting in his first book, “Grandma’s Moon,” which is a family history/memoir for his descendants.

He stayed proficient with technology even during his final months creating a newspaper program for his granddaughter’s wedding. He loved to spend time in his study writing on the computer or reading various books. Everyone who knew Don will tell you his favorite movie of all time was, “It’s a Wonderful Life” and he often felt like he, too, had a guardian angel. He has been quoted as saying, “Without reservation, I lived the American Dream.”

Don will be remembered for his favorite sayings:

The inside cover of “Grandma’s Moon” reads: For my Descendants: May they believe in themselves, be not afraid to fail, and always make the right choices.

What’s the worst thing that can happen?

And perhaps the most important, as he reflected on his 92 years of life, “Enjoy.”

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to: The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Grand Central Station, PO Box 4777, New York, NY 10163-4777 in honor of his son, Don; or Alzheimer’s Disease Research, 22512 Gateway Center Drive, Clarksburg, MD 20871 in memory of Bonnie.

FUNERAL SERVICETUESDAY, APRIL 18, 202310:30 AMALLEGHENY COUNTY MEMORIAL PARK CHAPEL1600 DUNCAN AVEALLISON PARK, PA 15101

CELEBRATION OF LIFE3:00 PMSATURDAY, JUNE 17, 2023PORTER LORING MORTUARY WEST1710 WEST LOOP 1604 NORTHSAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 78251

To view a recording of the service, please click here.