Donald J. Denby

January 2, 1939 - April 22, 2020

Donald John Denby, 81, passed away on Wednesday, April 22, 2020, four days after Easter, at Community Hospice, St. Augustine, FL. Don was born in Alton, Illinois, January 2, 1939, the second of three sons of Clarence Ernest and Alice Gertrude (Gahr) Denby; Don’s father died on Easter Sunday in 1945 when Don was six years old. After graduation from Alton High School, Don lived with his beloved Lloyd and Eunice Van Camp and their kennel of Welsh corgis in Glendale, Missouri, in order to attend Washington University St. Louis. He joined the Webster Groves Masonic Lodge and was President of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. While a sophomore, a fraternity brother convinced him to audition for the 1959 Washington University Quad Show, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN; chosen to star as Frank Butler, he performed April 30, May 1 and 2 at the now historic landmark, the American Theater, in downtown St. Louis. With another of his friends, Brian Rockell, Don joined Air Force ROTC and after graduation in 1962 with a BS in Industrial Engineering he reported for active duty as Development Engineer on Air Force weapon systems (Brian flew missions in the Viet Nam War and later died when his plane exploded). In 1963, Don accepted a special assignment for Space Systems Division of the Air Force, spending 11 months on the remote Johnston Island “wrapping up” the nuclear test series -- a Douglas Aircraft Research and Development test program launched from the Island using Thor missiles and later the program was turned over to the Air Force’s Air Defense Command. Don served 3 years active duty and four years in the reserves. He never tired of watching launches from Florida’s Space Center. Graduate work toward his MBA included study at USC before returning to St. Louis to obtain his MBA (Washington University in St. Louis, 1968) and meeting his wife through a Kappa Alpha Theta friend. He continued additional study toward a PhD in business at NYU and St. Louis University, lecturing in Marketing in their School of Commerce and Finance. Don spent 14 years with Monsanto Company, in a series of sales and marketing positions including participation in a foreign job exchange program the summer of 1973, acting as Business Manager, Monsanto Europe (Brussels, Belgium) and five years with Monsanto Canada (1975-1980, Toronto, Ontario) eventually serving as Acting President and making Canada’s WHO’S WHO IN THE CANADIAN CHEMICAL INDUSTRY. Don became President of Arundale, a multi-plant plastics manufacturing company, St. Louis, MO, 1982; President of AAIM Management Consulting Services, St. Louis, MO, 1988; Marketing Vice President of Sterling Pulp Chemicals, Toronto, Canada, 1994; Commercial Vice President of ERCO Worldwide/Plant Manager, Valdosta, Georgia, 2002-2003; and retired to Grand Haven in Palm Coast, Florida, 2004. Don loved being in choir and playing golf, tennis, bridge, board games, reading, enjoying his six grandchildren and watching baseball games, especially his beloved St. Louis Cardinals. Don was very active at Shepherd of the Coast Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and served as Elder and as Council President; he was one of four directors of the Ginn Senior PGA Tournament held in Palm Coast; and he served as President of the Friends organization of Washington Oaks Gardens State Park. Don made friends with everyone and always had at least one dog at his side. Don was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Robert and Jackie. Survivors include his devoted wife of 54 years, Elizabeth Reinhart Denby; loving #1 son, Brian Van Camp (Carla) Denby and their two sons Ian and Sean; son Donald J. (Lea) Denby, Jr. and their four children Hannah, Julia, Donald J. III and Luke; loving nephew, John Wayne (Jennifer) Best and daughter Anna. Additional survivors are sisters-in-law Dorothy (Melvin C.) Dace of Gainesville, FL; Mary (Lyman H.) Howe of Chattanooga, TN; Nancy (Robert V.) Denby of Alton, IL; and many dear nieces, nephews and cousins. Memorial services will be held at Shepherd of the Coast Lutheran Church in Palm Coast, Florida at a date to be announced once lockdown during pandemic ends, Pastor William Douthwaite officiating. Military burial will be at the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery immediately following the funeral. In Lieu of flowers, please send memorial contributions to Shepherd of the Coast Lutheran Church, 101 S Pine Lakes Parkway, Palm Coast, Florida, 32164, or to the GarySiniseFoundation.org/PO Box 368, Woodland Hills, CA 91365. Donald Denby’s memorial will be held (virus or not) on Friday, July 17th. A few nibbles, coffee & tea will be served SHEPHERD OF THE COAST LUTHERAN (101 Pine Lakes Parkway, Palm Coast, FL) Fellowship Hall 9:30 AM and the service will be at 10:30 AM. Military Burial will follow at Cape Canaveral Nat'l Cemetery at 2:30 PM , with arrival 2 PM.