Donald Lee Blaine

Donald Lee Blaine passed away March 29, 2021 at Longhorn Retirement Village in Austin, Texas. He was born November 17, 1931 and is survived by the love of his life, Carolyn Sue (Winfield) Blaine of Trotwood, Ohio. Don was born in Greenville, Ohio to Wilfred (Bill) Blaine and Mary E. (Collins) Blaine. In 1944 the family moved to Brookville, Ohio where Don graduated from high school in 1949. He began Bowling Green State University before his education was interrupted by the Korean War. He joined the army and trained to become a paratrooper before volunteering in the first Green Beret Class (10th Special Forces Group) organized at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Following his separation from active duty in the army, Don and Sue were married in 1954. They moved to Bowling Green, Ohio so Don could complete his studies. They subsequently raised their five sons while he accomplished a rewarding career, living life to its fullest, all at the same time setting the best example of what a father should be.

In 1954 he began his career with IBM in its sales force, commencing in Dayton, then Cleveland, followed by a move to the New York City area with a 2-year tour at World Headquarters. In 1967, he was transferred to Lubbock, Texas to become a branch manager. Following a highly successful career in that post, he was again promoted to run the largest branch office in the country at that time, in Houston, Texas (1970). His last transfer for IBM was to Atlanta in 1981 where he became engaged in international activities for IBM before his retirement. He was very involved with IBM’s “Writing to Read Program” which allowed Don and Sue to travel abroad extensively. Don and Sue’s last move was to Austin, Texas in 2018 to be near three of their sons and their families.

As a young boy, Don had great admiration for his Uncle George Collins who was an adventurous mountain man. This must have kindled the adventurous spirit in him because Don was always wanting to see new places and experience the culture of faraway lands. Don and Sue both loved to travel throughout their 66 years of marriage. He led Sue on the ride of her life, doing things most women would never dream of doing. Some of their favorites included a safari in the East African countries of Kenya and Tanzania, hiking the Pyrenees Mountains while sharing a villa in Italy with his siblings and their spouses, camel rides in Egypt, a Himalayan trek through the mountainous region of Tibet, riding a boat down the Kosi River in India trying to make it back to civilization, an Amazon River cruise in Brazil to its headwaters in the Andes Mountains, Hong Kong, China, and enduring a cyclone in a RV in New Zealand. There were many more trips and many of these were with family or friends. Every place Don and Sue lived, they developed lasting friendships and travel companions and all the while remaining very close to their siblings who were also great travel companions. They enjoyed spending time with their sons’ families whether at their lake house, fishing on Lake Buchanan in Texas, deer hunting in the Texas Hill Country, and even an elk hunt in Montana with sons, grandsons and nephews.

Don was also an avid boater/sailor, in fact it was probably his second love after Sue. His boating life began in Cleveland in the early 1960’s along with close friends Bill and Marilyn Shankland. They boated for years all over Lake Erie to places such as Sandusky, the Detroit River and the St. Lawrence Seaway, and when Bill and Don both were transferred to New York they subsequently travelled up and down the eastern seaboard together to locales such as Block Island Sound, Martha’s Vineyard, Cape Cod and Mystic Seaport. After the Texas years and the move to Atlanta, Don’s final boating foray was on Lake Lanier north of Atlanta. He and Sue boated with sons and grandchildren fishing, swimming and water skiing around the lake. He then decided he wanted to sail so the motor boat gave way to a small sail boat. He loved casual sailing with family and racing boats on the lake with friends. In 1965 when Don was transferred from Cleveland to New York, his friends and co-workers gave him a wall plaque that read “Smooth sailing from the Cleveland Crew.” And although Don has made his final Port-O-Call, we are sure his wishes for family and friends is nothing but smooth sailing.

Don was a versatile man and was involved in many different activities. While living in Houston, Don decided to raise Brahman cattle on his ranch near Columbus, Texas which he was very successful with. Don was quite involved in his community while living in the Atlanta area. He worked with the City of Alpharetta’s “Clean and Beautiful Program” and founded the Windward Association of Retired Men (WARM). He also started the beautification of Georgia Highways with wildflowers. He was highly involved with the Alpharetta Presbyterian Church Board where they were members for many years. He and Sue also volunteered for the Meals on Wheels program in Alpharetta, Georgia.

Don and Sue had five sons, the eldest of whom (David) predeceased him. Don’s four surviving sons are Dean (Renee) and Dennis (Brenda), who live in Austin, Texas; Doug (Cindy) in Houston, Texas, and Dow (Barbara), who live in Atlanta, Ga. Don and Sue have nine grandchildren and a newly born great-granddaughter. Don was predeceased by a sister (Sondra), brothers Robert E. (Bob) Blaine (Marlene) and William D. Blaine (Joan). He is survived by his brother, Jack (Rita), Irvington, Virginia, and a sister, Ronda Bailey (Ron), Centerville, Ohio.

A memorial service will be held April 30 at 11:00 am at the Weed Corley Fish Funeral Home in Lakeway, Texas. Interment will be at the Antioch Church in Trotwood, Ohio, at a date to be determined.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Don’s name to Meals on Wheels in Alpharetta, Georgia at https://ssnorthfulton.org or the Alpharetta Presbyterian Church located at

180 Academy St, Alpharetta, GA 30009 (770) 751-0033.