Donald Moffat

At age nine Donald and his two younger sisters were sent to Spring Hill, Nova Scotia, Canada as much of England was suffering from Hitler’s bombing campaign. It was five long years before they returned to England. When he was 15 he began a five year apprenticeship as a machine factory worker at the Birtley Co, Ltd. In Newcastle. Here he met his fellow “ginger-haired bugger” and lifelong friend Frank Mellon. He attended night classes and became a Certified Mechanical Engineer. Dissatisfied with his career path and opportunities he immigrated to the USA and became a US citizen.

He once again attended night classes to further his education while working full-time at the Cyclotron Laboratory at Harvard University. He earned his B.S. from Northeastern University and completed his Juris Doctorate through Suffolk University. After short stints as a private attorney and real estate development attorney, Don went on to twenty-five years as Corporate Counsel for Friendly’s Ice Cream Corporation.

Upon retiring he decided to see more of the US and in his seventies he bought a pickup and a 35 foot fifth wheel. With his wife Carolyn he crossed the US twice, traveled across Canada and enjoyed summers in Texas and Florida. Always an avid traveler he solo hitchhiked across France at age 19. Donald spent his last years seeing Alaska, Australia, Canada, China, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Greece, Hawaii, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. For the most part he and his wife journeyed without guides and Don drove them through the countries they were seeing. Of course, there were many visits to his beloved England where he still has family and friends. On his last trip he enjoyed hours of conversation with his best friend from age five, DB Bankier.

Always generous, Donald loved and supported his family with all his heart. Donald leaves to mourn his passing his wife of 35 years, Carolyn (Schoenecker) and his daughters Julie Robinson of Wichita, KS and Elspeth DiAugustino of Springfield, MA along with his grandchildren Daniel, Pamela, Ben and Margaret, great granddaughter, Natalie, his sisters Sheila Murray and Lorna Elkus and his oldest friends Donald Bankier and Frank Mellon. He was the kindest and gentlest of men and will be greatly missed by those who knew him.

Memorial donations to the Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice, 313 S. Market St., Wichita, KS 67202 where he spent he final days are appreciated as are any thoughts of love and remembrance of Donald.

Afterglow (by Helen Lowrie Marshall)

I’d like the memory of me to be a happy one.

I’d like to leave an afterglow of smiles when life is done.

I’d like to leave an echo whispering softly down the ways,

Of happy times and laughing times and bright and sunny days.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ResthavenMortuary-Cemetery.com for the Moffat family.