Dr. Donald A. Degnan, 95, passed away May 12, 2024. A memorial mass will be held 11:00 a.m. Friday, May 31, 2024 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in West Des Moines followed by a committal service at Resthaven Cemetery.
When asked, “What line of work are you in?”, Don would often respond with, “I make smiles!” He did that as an actual career and quite frankly, just by walking in a room!
Don was born June 20, 1928 in Guttenberg, IA to John and Anna Degnan, who are remembered most for instilling the values of a good education and work ethic in all seven of their children. He attended grade school and high school at St, Mary’s in Guttenberg, IA before attending Loras College in Dubuque, IA. He then went to study Dentistry at St. Louis University, MO. Don practiced general dentistry for ten years in Dubuque, IA before realizing Novocain and needles don’t make smiles and that’s when he focused his practice on orthodontics. After completing his graduate studies in Orthodontics at the University of Iowa, he returned to Dubuque and practiced orthodontics for the next 28 years! He loved his work and was passionate about it. Don always said that he loved his job because his patients left his office with a brighter smile than when they came in!
He met the love of his life, Ann Mooney on April 21, 1952, in St. Louis, MO while on a blind date. It took several sightings for this to be considered love at first sight, but they eventually got there and have been happily married for 67 years! Don and Ann couldn’t wait to start a family of their own, and their children mean the world to them! His initials of D.A.D. are no accident and he lived his namesake each and every day. Don is admired because of the KIND of father he was to his five children. He loved them all very much and instilled core values in all of them as those who kept promises and honored commitment. Don was a man of integrity who highly valued education and made sure all five of his children did too. Additionally, he went through life with an acute sense of propriety and never forgetting to find the humor in just about every situation.
As much as he loved his children, his supreme love was for his partner through life, Ann. His commitment to her transcended typical marital commitments. He lived just about every waking moment focused on her happiness and well-being. Whatever was important to her, immediately became important to him. His actions often spoke louder than words and his focus on her was evident until his last moments with her.
Though he loved golfing, skiing, socializing, fixing everything around the house, he also had an animated ability to tell a story. Don had a keen ability to connect with people and bring them together with a quick joke, a well-executed story and of course, a smile of his own.
Don is survived by his wife, Ann Mooney Degnan and his five children, Bill Degnan (Ann), Ellen Degnan Weber, Karen Degnan Sorensen, Donald Degnan (Kelly), John Degnan (Lisa), and his sister Mercedes Schappler, thirteen grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his siblings, Annette Ellsworth, Judge L. Jack Degnan, Irish Degnan, Dr. Edward Degnan and Marion Jacobs, his beloved dog, Paddy, and beloved friends too numerous to list.
We would like to thank the staff and friends at Edgewater, Suncrest Hospice, and the team at Infinity Home Care for whom we will be forever grateful. Their constant support, heartfelt care, friendship, and love for our dad meant the world to us.
We couldn’t have wished for a better father and will miss him every day. Dad’s memory will live on in the hearts of all those who loved him and in every smile he ever created!
Memorial contributions can be made to https://secure.qgiv.com/for/crownsociety/
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