Donnie Hewett, 83, of Orange Park, died on May 27, 2021. He was born to the late William and Ollie D. Hewett, January 4, 1938, in Washington County, Florida. Don worked repairing wrecked truck frames for Jax Frame on Edison Avenue until he opened his own business Don’s Alignment Service in rural Clay County in 1967. Throughout most of his adult life Don was heavily involved in stock car racing, repairing numbers of damaged cars for local legends and building his own cars including his first that competed at Daytona, Charlotte and Talladega. Don was inducted into the Jacksonville Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame in 2014.
In 1960, Don met and married Catherine Doyle who worked as a nurse while Don managed a 300-acre ranch owned by the same physician Catherine worked with in Chipley, Florida. Don and Catherine moved back to Clay County where she was originally from in 1963. They were married for 58 years; two children: G. Donnie Hewett, of Orange Park; W. Randy Hewett, of Jacksonville; and his beloved daughter in law Julie (Michael) Hewett Griffis, of Orange Park. He also is survived by his cherished grandson, Cole Hewett, sister, Ann Gay of Crestview and Carlee Griffis.
A viewing will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday, June 2, 2021 at Hardage-Giddens Rivermead Funeral Home. The service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, June 3, 2021 at Hardage-Giddens Rivermead and burial immediately following at Peoria Cemetery on Jefferson Avenue in Orange Park. The family will host friends at Don’s home, 3326 Peoria Road, Orange Park immediately following.
