Donald Orville Lee Cornelison

Donald grew up on a dairy farm in a small town in Missouri and started milking cows at 4 years old. After high school, he served in the Air Force and then obtained a Civil Engineering degree from the University of Missouri. He worked for the Missouri Highway Department for several years before moving west to Arizona in 1963. He worked as an engineer for the Arizona Department of Transportation until his retirement in 1989, eventually serving as Assistant State Engineer for Construction and working on many of the large highway projects around the state.

Donald was a follower of Jesus who enjoyed sharing his faith with others. He was very active in the local church, teaching adult Sunday School classes for 58 years and serving in various leadership positions. He enjoyed travelling throughout the United States and Canada in his motor home and was able to visit all 50 states. One of his favorite things to do was to search out great ice cream shops on his travels.

Donald is survived by his loving wife, Daisy “Dee” Cornelison, his sons, Donald (Annette) and David (Lou Ann), his grandchildren Philip, Jonathan, Stephen, Matthew, and Lauren, great grandchildren Rowan and Oliver and his sisters Oleva Evans and Ruby Johnson. He is also survived by his extended family including Dee’s children Duke Clark (Mary), Gina Beck, and Terri Daugherty (Steve), her grandchildren David, Douglas, Lyndsay and Summer, great grandchildren Elijah, Joshua, Mary Carol, William, Mary Elena, Robert, Jagger, Phoenix, and Jayden.

Don is preceded in death by his parents, Orville and Pearl Cornelison, his first wife, Joan Cornelison, and his brother Harlin Cornelison.

Family and friends are invited to attend Donald’s Celebration of Life at Palmcroft Church in the Worship Center (15825 N. 35th Avenue in Phoenix) on Saturday, July 31, 2021 at 10:00 AM.