Col. Donald Ray "Don" Bissell, US Air Force, Retired

Born in Binghamton, N.Y., on Oct. 20, 1921, Col. Bissell was the oldest of four children by Ray and Leota Bissell. Spending much of his childhood in New York and Pennsylvania, the family eventually settled in Dresden, Ohio. After graduating from high school in Dresden, he enrolled in Ohio State Univ. in 1939, moving on to the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., in 1942. He then graduated from West Point in 1945 as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps, beginning a long and decorated career in our Armed Forces.

It was while he was stationed at Barksdale A.F.B. in Shreveport, La., that he met Jimmie Irene Smith in 1948. The two were married in 1949, and remained inseparable until Jimmie’s death in 2004.

A natural-born flier, he piloted several types of bombers for multiple campaigns in Asia and the Pacific in his early career. Upon returning stateside, he headed a family of five while he worked tirelessly to achieve the eventual rank of Colonel in the U.S. Air Force, the title under which he retired in 1975.

Col. Bissell is survived by his three children – son Michael and his wife Hilda, of Houston; son Stephen and his wife Nancy, of Austin; and daughter Gail Graham and her husband Mike, of San Antonio – as well as his two remaining sisters, Anita Maurer and Betty Walder, of Dresden and New Franklin, Ohio, respectively. Additionally he leaves behind seven grandchildren: Cate and Bridget Bissell (Michael); Danny and Tom Bissell (Stephen); and Sarah, David and Matthew Graham (Gail).

A man of unbreakable personal ethics, razor-sharp wit and unrivaled proactivity, Col. Bissell is remembered for his generous spirit, his tireless work ethic, and his undying devotion to his friends and family. His death brings sorrow and leaves holes in the hearts of many, but his memory lingers in the form of the numerous lives he touched.

A graveside memorial service will be held at 1:45 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 29, at the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, members of the Bissell family request that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association. Additional information can be found at www.alz.org.