Donald LeRoy McLaughlin

Don was born to Kermit and Zelia at 5:00 PM on Friday, November 24, 1933 in the home of his grandparents in Lucas, Iowa. He spent most of his childhood in Ottumwa, Iowa where he attended Ottumwa High School, followed by 4 years in the U.S. Air Force. He was trained as an aircraft mechanic and worked as a flight engineer during the Korean War.

He married Marilyn LaPoint of Ottumwa on April 7, 1956 and following his discharge from the Air Force they moved from his station in Minnesota to Ames, Iowa to conclude his education at Iowa State University. They had a busy life with schooling, scouting and studying their family genealogy. They completed family history books on each of their four families. Marilyn passed away in 2012. Don married Sherri Redding in 2014, with whom he traveled happily and extensively.

He is survived by six children; Timarie D. Phelps (John), Kelley J. Huddleston (Pat), Michelle M. Johnson, Jon C. McLaughlin (Kathleen), Stephan S. McLaughlin (Shana), and Kathryn D. McLaughlin. Also surviving are his wife, Sherri and two step-daughters, Martine Dulane Gash (Darryl) and DeMaris Diane Barnett (Danny) both of Arkansas. He is further survived by fourteen grandchildren, two step grandchildren, and nine great grandchildren.

Don worked for several years as an investigator for the company now known as Equifax in southeastern Iowa. In 1965 he left that firm and joined the social security administration in Kansas City with the advent of the Medicare program. He worked there as a claims examiner, a computer programmer and many other administrative positions before his retirement in 1993 as Regional Inspector General for Evaluation and Inspections. He served on several citizen work committees in Gladstone, MO during his retirement.

The honorable Jan Meyers placed a tribute to Mr. McLaughlin in the Congressional Record at the time of his retirement recognizing that during his last three years of work he led evaluations resulting in savings of $1.5 billion to the U.S. taxpayers. She also recognized the awards he received as early as 1971 including the Bureau of Health Insurance Directors Outstanding Performance Award and the the Inspector General’s 1985 Outstanding Performance Award. In 1990 he was Manager of the year for the Office of Evaluation and Inspections. He served on several citizen work committees in Gladstone, MO during his retirement.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to NorthCare Hospice.

Private graveside services were held at White Chapel Cemetery.