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Light a Candle
Donald “Don” Dalton, age 86, died suddenly at his home in Katy, Texas on September 8, 2019. Don was born on July 14, 1933 in El Dorado, Kansas to Lawrence and Eunice Dalton. At a young age, his family moved to Stairtown, Texas, where they lived in Magnolia Oil lease housing. Don first attended Prairie Lea High School and later, Luling High School, where he played basketball and the trombone in the school band, graduating in 1951. Following high school, Don spent three years in the Army, attaining the rank of Sergeant and serving most of his time in Germany. While in Germany, he was able to travel throughout Europe and he had fond memories of traveling to Paris, London, and Amsterdam. Following the Army, Don married Yvonne Carter in 1956 and they lived in Port Arthur, Texas. Don used his Army communications training by working on radio equipment for the oil and gas industry along the Gulf Coast. They soon moved to Kingsville, Texas, where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Education from Texas A&I University. Following his divorce from Yvonne, Don met Dorothy McCumber while she was working as a waitress in George West, Texas, and they married in November 1960. Don and Dorothy lived briefly in Houston before moving to Deer Park, Texas, where Don was a teacher at Deer Park High School from 1961 to 1986. He primarily taught electricity and wood shop, but towards the end of his career he taught U.S. History. Don received his Masters of Education Degree in Industrial Education from Sam Houston State University in 1976. After retiring from teaching, Don and Dorothy moved to Freeport, Texas where he was able to spend time doing two of the things that he really loved – fishing and making barbecue. Following Dorothy’s death in 1990, he met and married Belle, his wife of the past 28 years. Don and Belle moved between the Lake Travis area and Freeport, eventually settling in Katy, Texas. Don is survived by his wife Belle and his three sons and their wives, Jay and Diana Dalton of Terry, Mississippi; Ronald and Leanne Dalton of Stafford, Virginia; and Gregory and Jana Dalton of Freeport, Texas; and three step-daughters, Susan Hopkins of St. Louis, Missouri, Jan and Mike Ellison of Overton, Nevada, Jill and Jeff Hodgkins of Lago Vista, Texas. He is also survived by the following grandchildren: Felicia Dalton of Stephenville, Texas; Dara (Zachary) Frandsen of Corpus Christi, Texas; Justin Dalton of Stafford, Virginia; Steven (Kalyn) Dalton of Charleston, South Carolina; and Rebeka Dalton of Stafford, Virginia. Don was predeceased by his parents, Lawrence and Eunice Dalton, his sister and brother-in-law Barbara and Jack Berger of Houston, and brother James Dalton of Austin. He is survived by sister’s in law Tel Dalton of Austin, Vivian West of Beeville, Norma McAlpin of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Clarice Lammey of Houston, Texas and leaves behind numerous nieces and nephews. Don battled Myelofibrosis, a form of blood cancer, and Squamous cell carcinoma. He had recently begun a new chemotherapy program and had completed his first round of treatment. Though his death was unexpected, he had made arrangements to have his body donated to the Baylor School of Medicine so that research could be done that may help find a cure for these cancers. A Memorial Service to celebrate Don’s life will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, October 12th, at the Greenhouse Community Church at 2425 Greenhouse Rd, Houston, TX 77084. A luncheon reception will follow the Memorial Service in the adjacent Fellowship Center. Don was especially touched by the children he saw receiving treatment for cancer and in lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (www.stjude.org) or Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (www.alexslemonade.org) to fight childhood cancer.
