Donald Leroy Lakey

Donald Leroy Lakey, age 86, went to be with the Lord on Sunday, December 15, 2013. He will truly be missed by friends and family. Donald was born to the late Howard and Esther Lakey, on October 19th, 1927 in Beloit, WI. At a young age, Donald and his family moved to Dallas, TX. He graduated from Grand Prairie High School in 1944. At age 17, during WWII, he joined the Merchant Marines and served from 1944 - 1948, travelling to many places around the world. On one ship he delivered horses to Poland and another ship brought wounded soldiers back home from England. He joined the Marine Corps Reserves from 1948-1950 and was drafted into the Army in 1951 and became an Airborne Ranger, 9th Ranger Company. During his time in the Army he was part of a big jump at Fort Hood in which 3,120 men participated. After the Army he joined the Army Reserves. Donald was a purchasing agent by trade and worked for Chance Vaught/LTV in Grand Prairie, TX. He also worked for Bell Helicopter in Hurst, Texas and moved to Amarillo, TX to help open the facility there. Mr. Lakey retired from Mason Hanger-Silas Mason (The Pantex Plant) in Amarillo, TX. Donald moved from Amarillo to San Antonio in 2003, living at Timberhill Villa Retirement Community. Two of his favorite past times were feeding the donkeys and several feral cats. In 1970, Donald joined Big Brothers/Big Sisters and mentored a young man, Alex L’Heureux, who became a “part of the family” and has remained close for over 40 years. Donald traveled to visit Alex wherever he lived, including football games during college days and a trip to North Carolina to visit Donald’s daughter and her husband Larry when he was stationed at Camp Lejeune. Alex’s daughters Megan and Rachel thought of him as their grandfather. Donald and his daughter, Donna, would drive through the Hill Country on many of their excursions on weekends and he and Brenda would spend countless hours on the phone during sports broadcasts. They would watch a game together constantly asking each other, “Did you see that?” Donald is preceded in death by his sister Lorraine Hance and is survived by his daughter, Donna Saenz (Larry) of San Antonio, and his daughter Brenda Lakey of Clarendon; one granddaughter, Jessica Saenz and one great-grandson, Jurrien Saenz. Also survived by Alex L’Heureux, MD (Dinah) of Edmond, OK. Also a special young man he considered a grandson, Austin Miranda of Clarendon. The visitation will be held on Sunday, December 22, 2013 from 6:00 – 8:00 P.M. at Sunset Northwest Funeral Home, 6321 Bandera Rd. The funeral service will be held on Monday, December 23, 2013 at 1:00 P.M. at the funeral home with Reverend Stuart Clark of Crossroads Baptist Church officiating the service. The interment with military honors will follow at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery. The family requests that no flowers be sent, but instead, please make contributions to the Alzheimer's Association.