Don Louis Safley

Don Louis Safley, a long-time Austin resident, passed away on Tuesday, October 4, 2005 at his home on Toro Canyon Road. He was 87. Don was born March 16, 1918 to John G. Safley and Lulu Obye Safley in Rockwell City, Iowa. He graduated from Rockwell City High School in 1936 and attended Iowa State University. In 1940, he joined the Army Air Corp Cadet Program and graduated as a 2nd Lieutenant with his flying wings in Class 41-F at Brooks Field, San Antonio, TX. In that same year, he married Toni Gill of Hugo, Oklahoma. Don served in a variety of flying and staff billets that took him around the world with assignments in Germany, Japan, Hawaii, and throughout the United States. Along the way, Don and Toni had two sons; Jon Gill in 1945 and Bruce Alan in 1950. In 1967 he earned a BA in Business Administration from the University of Maryland. Colonel Don Safley retired from the Air Force in 1968 and joined the Rexall Drug and Chemical Company in Los Angeles, California. In 1975, he became the President and CEO of Fiberfil Corporation in Evansville, Indiana. In 1983, Don retired from private industry and joined the Continuing Education Department of the University of Texas. Soon after, he left the world of academe, became the President of SCORE – the Senior Corps of Retired Executives – and golf became his passion. Don is preceded in death by his sisters Jean Safley and Joan Hunerwadel. His survivors include his wife of 64 years, Toni; son Jon and wife Kathy Safley of Fairfax Station, Virginia; son Bruce Alan Safley and fiancé Barbara Whitehead of Austin; two granddaughters: Darden Purcell and husband Shawn of Nashville, Tennessee, and Megan Cummings and husband John of Centreville, Virginia, and nephew: JP and wife Karen Hunerwadel and daughters Emily and Elaina of Prattville, Alabama. The Safley family would like to thank Hospice Austin, especially Jean Gray and Josh Angell, and Professional Caretakers, in particular, Nging Saechao, Laura Richey, Esther Kulecho-King, and Cora Haywood. In lieu of flowers, donations to Hospice Austin or the American Heart Association would be greatly appreciated. Husband, father, grandfather, military officer and pilot, business executive, raconteur, golfer, and friend, Don will be missed by his family and friends. A celebration of his life will be held on Thursday, October 27th at 11 a.m. at Weed-Corley-Fish Chapel, Bishop William J. Dendinger, Diocese of Grand Island, Nebraska, will officiate. Interment with full military honors will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, October 28th at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio, TX. Obituary and guestbook available online at wcfish.com