Donald D. Piper

Donald D. Piper of Lawrenceville was born in Sumner, IL (Christy Township) on September 9, 1916, the son of Lloyd R. and Bessie (Robinson) Piper and passed away March 3, 2010 at United Methodist Village-North Campus. He was a member of the Central Christian Church of Sumner. Donald was preceded in death by his wife Ruth E. (Snow) Piper on February 2, 2001; they had been married for 51 years. Also preceding him in death were his parents; two brothers, Dayton L Piper and James C. Piper; and one niece Ann M. Dixon. He is survived by one niece Teresa J. Illyes of Flat Rock, IL.Mr. Piper was raised in Sumner and attended school there, graduating with the class of 1933. While growing up, he worked in numerous stores in Sumner, including Schuders, Saxtons, A.T. Jones, Orrs Book Store and Lilibells restaurant. He also helped his father in the restaurant/tavern business. In the mid-30s, he attended business school at Bryant and Stratton College in Chicago. After graduating he was employed in Chicago until the oil boom in Southern Illinois and Indiana when he was employed by the title firm of Diester, Ward and Witcher out of Oklahoma where he was promoted to office manager of one of their largest offices in Benton, IL. In 1941, he was offered a position by the U.S. Civil Service Commission in the Personnel Division of The Panama Canal Company/Government in Balboa Canal Zone. He was in the Canal Zone on December 7, 1941, and was subsequently transferred to Headquarters, 15th Naval District, Balboa where he was an Auditor for the U.S. Navy Public Works Department involved in large contrasts building dry-docks, air fields and the trans isthmian pipe line in support of the war effort. When these contracts were essentially completed in 1944, Mr. Piper was transferred to the U.S. Air Force (then Army Air Corps). He progressed to the position of Director of Procurement, Caribbean Air Command (now Air Force Southern Command) with responsibilities through Central and South America. In May of 1950, he married Ruth E. (Snow) Piper and they were both employed in the Panama Canal Zone until December 1959 when Mr. Piper was offered a position with the Air Force at the Air Force Eastern Test Range, Patrick AFB Florida where he served as Deputy Chief of Procurement until retirement in 1969. He was appointed Contracting Officer for the Advanced Range Instrumented Ships Program, which was successfully completed during his tenure with the Air Force. The Pipers built their retirement home in the mountains of western North Carolina, but after so many years in the tropics that climate was too harsh in the winter time, so they returned to Florida where they lived in Cocoa Beach, Rockledge, Sun Tree, Bradenton and finally in Leesburg, FL. They were volunteers in the travel program of Lake Port Square, an elite continuing care facility, where they resided for 11 years.Memorial services for Donald D. Piper will be 11:00 am Thursday, June 3, 2010 at Sivert-Macey & Steffey Funeral Home, 509 South Christy, Sumner, IL. A private burial will held at a later date in the Petty Cemetery.