Donald Ray Kisner

Don was born at home in Strattanville, Pennsylvania to Raymond Maxwell Kisner and Grace Elizabeth (Corbett) Kisner on September 27, 1934. In the early 1950’s the Kisner Family, minus sister Evelyn (“Tootie”), moved to Corona, California. Known in school as “Deacon Rip” he graduated from Corona Sr. High School in 1953. Following school, he became a proud Marine and sailed the southern hemisphere on the U.S.S. Bennington.

It was during return trips home to Corona that he met the love of his life, Marilyn Byers. Don and Marilyn raised three children in the Corona/El Cerrito area. Changes within his job had Don moving to Arizona in the early 1990s.

While living in Tucson, he got interested in horses and saddle making. He owned a couple of horses and started hanging out at the saddle shop after his retirement from the aerospace industry. There he became quite good with the tools of the trade and made custom saddles for himself and clients at the shop. All of his children have belts made by Dad that are probably strong enough to tow a car.

Don and Marilyn moved to Vail in 2001 where he was as handy with a blowtorch as he was those leather awls. He needed a new project so he designed and constructed all the iron gates around their house.

Rip, as he was known to longtime friends, was first and foremost a car guy. He fixed, rebuilt, souped up and raced dozens of cars over his long life. The last being a 1936 Ford now driven by his daughter and son-in-law.

He and Marilyn, his beloved wife, enjoyed their Sunday drives in and around Southern Arizona as well as long trips to California to visit family and friends. Rip had many close friends that he kept in close contact with up until his last few days.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years Marilyn B. Kisner; his three children Mardawn Kisner Wendt, Eric Kisner and Karla Kisner Phillips; two granddaughters Cillian and Giselle; sons-in-law Eric Wendt and Paul Phillips; and numerous nieces and nephews in California and Pennsylvania.