Hubert Donald (Don) Deane, age 86 died peacefully on November 11, 2017, in Grand Junction, Colorado.
Don was born March 23, 1931, in Montezuma, Kansas, and spent his younger years in Darrouzett, Texas, with father Hubert, mother Ruth, and younger brother Bob.
In the 1940s the family moved back to Kansas where brother Richard was born. Don graduated from Hoxie High School in 1949, where he met wife-to-be, Barbara Martin. They married in 1952.
In 1951 he joined the Navy where he spent four years and served during the Korean War aboard the destroyer USS Hanson. He received the National Defense Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, Korean Presidential Unit Citation, China Service Medal, Korean Service Medal (4 Stars) and Good Conduct Medal.
He earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Fort Hays (Kansas) State College and went on to enter the field of education. He initially taught at elementary schools in Paradise and Hoxie, Kansas. He finished his career teaching business courses at Colorado Mountain College in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, from 1968 until his retirement in 1986.
In retirement, Don and Barbara resided in Carbondale, Colorado, and later split their time between Grand Junction, Colorado, and Tucson, Arizona. They enjoyed boating, fishing, camping, snowmobiling, jeeping, RV-ing, golfing, square dancing and traveling around the U.S. and Europe.
After Barbara died, Don moved to Tucson full time until recently, when he returned to Grand Junction.
Don enjoyed tinkering with anything mechanical or electrical and always had home improvement projects to keep him busy.
He was honest, patriotic, hardworking, and devoted to his family. Everyone who spent time around Don described him as "just the nicest guy." Those who spent a little more time with him appreciated his dry sense of humor.
Don was preceded in death by parents H.W. and Ruth Deane, and by wife Barbara. He is survived by sons David and wife Donell of Durango, Colorado, and Dan and wife Cathy of Littleton, Colorado; by brothers Bob and wife June of Gypsum, Colorado, and Richard and wife Roxie of Eagle, Colorado, and their families; by grandchildren, Erin Mihulka and husband Kirk, Kelly Newgent and husband Lee, Daniel Deane, Dorothy Deane, Dominic Deane and Daisy Deane; and by great-grandchildren Benjamin and Nathaniel Cooley, and William, Ryan and Nora Newgent.
A veteran's ceremony will be held at Ft. Logan National Cemetery, 4400 W. Kenyon Ave., Denver, CO, 80236 at 2:15 p.m. on November 27th. Please arrive 15 minutes early and drive to staging area C. A reception will be held afterwards.