Donald D. Van Driest
November 12, 1932 – February 12, 2022
He was preceded in death by his parents, Phil and Nell Van Driest.
Don proudly served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1953-1955 with service in Japan and Korea. He married Deanna Calandrine of Fort Dodge, Iowa on
September 1, 1957. Don served on the Eastern Nebraska Trails Association as a volunteer in development of abandoned railroad tracks into walking and biking trails; named Friends of Parks Trail Blazer Award for his pioneering work on the Nebraska Cowboy Trail-1994; and Nebraska Trails Council Oregon Trail Award-1999. He also volunteered at the VA Hospital in Omaha.
Don is survived by his wife, Deanna; children, Laurel (Grant), Matthew (Tracey) and Ward; three step grandsons.
The Family will receive friends on Tuesday, February 15th, from 5pm to 7pm at the West Center Chapel. Private Interment: Omaha National Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Baright Library Foundation in Ralston.
1 Condolence
Very sorry to hear of Don’s passing. I very much enjoyed visiting with him the day I brought him a fatigue shirt that he had worn during the Korean war that I had purchased from a surplus store when I was a boy and it had his name written on it. One day a few years ago I decided to look up his name and actually found him, we met at his home and I spent the evening visiting with him and his wife. He couldn’t believe he was holding one of his shirts from the war all those years later. It was a real honor and a pleasure to have known him and his wife for even the short time we had together and the exchange was one of the highlights of my life being a veteran myself.
Justin Winchell
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