Donald Surgeon
Jerseyville |
Donald Kearn Surgeon, 90, died suddenly at 12:09 p.m., Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at his home in Jerseyville.
He was born in Batchtown on August 22, 1927, one of five children born to the late John Douglas and Annie Laura (Walsh) Surgeon.
Don grew up in Batchtown on the family farm and learned early on the value of hard work, keeping busy with the chores on the farm. As a teenager, he moved to Jersey County where he lived and worked with the Wallace Family in Grafton, milking cows during the school year. He attended Jersey Community High School, where he was involved in football and enjoyed the skills and knowledge he gained from shop class
After high school, Don enlisted with the Merchant Marines during WWII and traveled all around the world. He later went on to graduate from the University of Illinois and then enlisted with the United States Coast Guard, serving as an Ensign Engineer and Officer during the Korean War.
After the Korean conflict, Don began a colorful and prolific career with Dow Chemical Company. Always a gentleman and a charmer, Don excelled as salesperson in the agricultural division and worked his way up the ranks, becoming the Regional Sales Manager for the Midwest. His career spanned for more than 30 years, and he is remembered by his colleagues for his sincerity, kindness and sense of humor.
He met the great love of his life, Pauline "Polly" Hoolihan, while home on leave in Grafton, and the two married on February 21, 1961 in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. Together he and Polly resided in Minnesota for many years, as well as Washington state, where Don owned and operated an apple orchard and was a proud grower with Manson Growers. Don always enjoyed good health and a fully active life, and understood how precious these gifts were as he cared for Polly, who suffered from debilitating health issues for much of their married life. They were blessed with 41 years of marriage before her death, sixteen years prior on February 28, 2002. She was his one true love, and inspired Don's love of investing - which kept him busy up until the day he left us.
After Polly’s death, Don began to downsize his orchard operations, and he had the opportunity to relocate to California, first residing in San Francisco and later in Pacifica. He would eventually return back "home" to the Jerseyville area in 2012 where he has remained ever since. Don was always determined to live and enjoy life to the fullest. He made it a mission to renew and strengthen his relationships with family and friends, and make new friends along the way. He was truly young at heart and had the health, vigor and enthusiasm for life of a man half his age.
Don was an incredibly generous and considerate person and enjoyed sharing what he and Polly had created with others, coming to the discrete aid of many of his acquaintances that were in need of assistance. He was warm and kind in his words and deeds, and always knew how to uplift the spirit of the people around him.
He was a loving and dynamic person, an adventurer, a businessman and above all a gentleman.
He is survived by his sisters-in-law, Elizabeth Surgeon, Rosemary Surgeon and Betty Hoolihan, special friends Marilea and Micah Anisco and Carlos Buenafe, and his numerous nieces and nephews and their families, all of whom Don loved to dote on every opportunity that he could.
In addition to his parents and his wife, he was preceded in death by two brothers, John and Lynn Surgeon; and two sisters, Jane Dorothy Klockenkemper and Shirley Ringhausen.
A memorial visitation will be held from 9 a.m. until 9:45 a.m., Saturday, March 10, at the Crawford Funeral Home in Jerseyville.
A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 10 a.m. at the Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Jerseyville with Father Martin Smith officiating.
Burial will take place at the Bunker Hill Cemetery in Bunker Hill, with the Bunker Hill American Legion Post 578 conducting military honors.
In lieu of flowers and plants, memorials may be given to Saint Francis/Holy Ghost Catholic Schools, to Masses or to a Charity of one's choice, in care of the funeral home.
Crawford Funeral Home
