Donald Joseph Aird

Donald Joseph Aird, 70, of Bradenton, Florida, passed away in the care of hospice at Manatee Memorial Hospital on July 6, 2025. Don was born in Dubuque, Iowa, on August 3, 1954 to Clem and Lorraine Aird. He lived a full and passionate life devoted to his work, his family, and his many interests.

He built a long and respected career as a project manager in the hard equipment division at John Deere. Don took great pride in his work and especially in his contributions to the T-Rex project in Denver, Colorado — one of his proudest professional achievements.

Outside of work, Don enjoyed admiring cars, spending time fixing old technology devices, and collecting coins and jewelry. His enthusiasm for restoring and collecting things made him a great storyteller. He really enjoyed spending time at the beach, especially with his granddaughters. He loved talking about his interests that also included the weather and all of the things happening in the world.

Don is survived by his daughter, Stacy Lofgren, and her husband, Nic Lofgren; his grandchildren, Adelina and Brielle Lofgren; his brothers and sisters: Jim Aird (Barb), Pat Carroll, and Mary Stumpf; and his son, Nick Aird and ex-wife Debbie Aird. Preceded in death by his parents Clem and Lorraine Aird, and brother in law Richard Carroll and brother in law Daniel Stumpf. He leaves behind many extended family members and friends who will miss him dearly.

Don will be remembered for his dedication to his job, his love of Florida, and being someone you could always count on to talk to.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date in Dubuque, IA.