Prochaska, Donald F.
March 20, 1952 – June 29, 2018
Founder/owner Prochaska & Associates Architectural and Engineering firm. Survived by wife, Judge Jane H. Prochaska; parents, William and Martha Prochaska of Brainard, NE; sisters: Patricia Prochaska, Carol Keith, and Susan Chloupek; nieces and nephews; aunts, Georgia Nugent and Leona Prochaska; many cousins.
The family will receive friends on Friday, July 6th from 5pm to 7pm at the West Center Chapel. MASS OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL: Saturday, July 7th at 11am at Christ the King Catholic Church, 654 S. 86th St. Memorials will be directed by the family.
78 Comments
So sorry to hear this. Don was patient and kind and I am so happy he was the kind voice of.reason behind our new justice center. His passion for making things right was extraordinary.
RIP Don.
Jane, let us know how we can help. So sorry for your loss.
Shocked to hear this. Don has been a great friend for many years and has contributes unselfishly to many great causes. My thoughts are with Jane and family. A real loss to the community. Rest in peace my friend.
Thinking of you, Jane. Let me know if you need anything; I’m close! Hugs…
Jane and family, my thoughts and prayers for you all. I am so sorry.
Jane and family, so sad to hear of Don’s passing. May he rest in peace. My condolences to you and the family. May God bless you.
DON was a TRUE GENTLEMAN & SCHOLAR . I truly enjoyed interacting with DON on both a Professional & Personal level . Don had a HAPPY & UPLIFTING demeanor that left one feeling better for the time spent . DON always made time to chat & listen when I called no matter the time of day . THANKS DON for your time & gentleman ways . You consistently displayed all that is good in the AMERICAN MAN that helped build this country & community . A TRUE PATRIOT !!!! RIP DON !!! THANKS for your FRIENDSHIP !!!
Jane, So sorry for your loss. Love, Debbie
I am so very sorry Jane. Just in shock. Please let me know if I can be of any help.
My thoughts & prayers Jane…Don will be greatly missed. Don was a very dear friend since the 1980’s & stood beside me & believed in me all these years. I was truly shocked by his untimely passing. We had many wonderful talks through the years & was definitely a ” giant among men” RIP Don & God bless You Jane & all that are left behind. You were a friend Don, like no other…Thank you!…Jim
Jane, I am so sorry for you loss. Don was a long time a very good friend. I was shocked at the news. My prayers are with you.
Jack
Jane, I am so sorry for your loss. Dona was a giving, kind man. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Karen L. Vervaecke
As a seventeen year employee at Prochaska & Associates, and a veteran of all the late nights, and through all the professional and personal highs and lows, Don felt like family to me. Jane and Don both helped my wife and I through her mother’s passing. He is not replaceable, in the office, or in our hearts. We are soldiering on here today without him, because that is the culture he created. Jane, we will help in any way we can. We grieve your loss, and grieve with you.
I really liked Don’s work ethics and hard work. He was a very intelligent business man and communicater. i worked with Don in 2007 and 2008 with periidic dealings since then. I really liked his soft voice and sence of humor. I will miss him.
Jane, We are very sorry for your loss… there are many things Don taught me over the 15 years of knowing him and working for him. He taught me the A/E business and more importantly the humanity of it. We agreed to disagree on several things but at the end of the day we knew this relationship only made us and Prochaska & Associates stronger. Our thoughts and prayers are with you…
Jane, my condolences and blessings to you and family. Very sad to lose one of the “BEST”! Take heart in the fact that Don’s positive influence is being carried forward within all of us. May he Rest in Peace – Daryl
I’ve known Don for many years, and always cherished his inspiration and love of life. I am so sorry to hear of his passing. Many prayers and condolences to his family.
Jane,
We were saddened to hear about Don. A loss for your family and for the class of 1970. Don left a legacy here at Aquinas through his design for the St. Joseph’s building on our campus. We appreciated his generous spirit which will be greatly missed. Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
A truly super architect and more importantly a kind and understanding person. His professionalism was beyond reproach. I appreciated his work ethic and helping coach me on various projects.
Janet, thoughts and prayers to you. Don was one of a kind. He always made others feel better with his witty comments and warm smile and embracing laugh. He made a difference and he will be missed. Jack
Don had a lot of passion and zest for architecture and life. Truly he never slowed down. I learned something every time I spoke with him. He was a great listener, truly cared about people and valued opinions. Don had a huge heart! His contributions to Omaha and Nebraska as an architect and a human being were tremendous to so many. I am really going to miss our talks, Don! Gone to soon…..
Jane,
We just received the news about Don and are so sad to hear of his passing. Such a gentle man in every sense of the word he had a heart of gold. Sending lots of prayers for you and the rest of your family and all the friends he touched. He certainly will be missed. Gone way too soon.
To all the Prochaska family and especially to you Jane my deepest condolences! We have all lost one great guy . . . way too early!
Talked to Don about every other day. Loved sharing stories, political views and just about anything real estate. He was one of my best friends and we will all miss him terribly.. Thoughts and prayers, Jane
Goodness! What a loss to you, Jane, family, and our community!! Will always fondly remember meeting him “over the phone 30+ years ago!! God bless and be with you, giving you strength…Love & Hugs…the “Suburban Girls” MaryLou, Teresa & Marie
As a banker for Don, I had the opportunity to work with a very bright and innovative businessman. It developed into a friendship which I valued. His knowledge and opinions on economics, politics and just life always brightened my day. A true gentleman who did so many great things for Omaha and people who were fortunate to know him.
Jane, we met you and Don when he renovated the Conant Hotel. He was such a kindred spirit. There is a saying that there are people who possess a light so bright it not only lights their way, but guides others as well! May you find peace in knowing we have wrapped you in our prayers and will look for that new bright star in the sky.
Jane, our prayers are with you and for you.
If possible, Judi and I will come for the funeral.
God bless you.
Rest in peace Don. You really made your mark.
Just a great all around person who every time I hear his name I get a smile on my face because thats how we always left a conversation between us. Smiling!
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Don was a good role model for students and others to look up to.
I am so sorry for your loss! I will keep you in my prayers.
Don was a dedicated professional architect , a builder and a good friend . Also a fellow Butler County native . I express my sister bcere confolences for the loss of Don to his family and friends . He was a good man!
Don’s sudden passing is sad and surreal for everyone here in the office. No red Mercedes in the same parking spot, no “How are you doing Mike?…. How is Kathy?…..How are the kids?…..” Don always had some cheerful thing to say, some positive outlook on any issue arising. Speaking for me anyway, I never saw him angry about anything. He was blessed in being able to do, all the time, what he truly loved. He didn’t take vacations, he was here in his office, talking and texting and writing to clients, associates, friends, coworkers, etc. about problems and challenges and dreams. Every month he was submitting credentials, creating a dozen proposals, attending civic meetings all over the Midwest….. How could he help?, and how could our firm help? Prochaska and Associates exists as an extension of Don’s personality; A desire to be an active participant in the greater good. Don will be greatly missed by all of us here in the office. Rest in Peace.
My condolences, Jane. I am so sorry for your loss.
Jane, I”m holding you close in my heart and prayers So sorry for your loss..
I am so saddened by the news of Don’s passing. He was a kind and uplifting man, that made things around him seem better. I often stopped in to see him just for coffee and conversation. My prayers go out to you and the family. May you find peace in knowing the impact Don had on all who knew him.
My condolences to you Jane and your family. Don generously provided helpful advice and perspectives on things whenever I met him. He was a great guy and I was lucky to know him.
Jane, so sorry and prayers for you. Long time association and friendship….both of you and my whole family. Peace.
Jane so sorry to hear of Don’s passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Don, you gave me my first real job; helped me buy my first car; let me tour your condo; joked about power ties; piloted me to a fly-in breakfast; let me poke fun at you in holiday slideshows; assisted with the adoption of our son; took me to Alaska, San Francisco, Estes Park, etc.; donated a bell tower design to my high school; and attended my father-in-law’s funeral. Now sadly I must attend yours. Thank you for the last 30+ years. Thank you for your guidance, support, encouragement, friendship and sense of humor. And thank you for your endless teasing of Bill and Curt (it entertained the rest of us).
I would simply like to say, as you would have typed it, “Thank You, Don.”
I’m still in shock; it’s been almost 21yr since i worked for you Don, but i remember our chats in the last year <3 you will truly be missed; it was good to see all that i knew at your visitation … until we meet again my friend
I am sadly surprised to hear of Don’s passing. He seemed so alive and happy with his life. We met in Omaha in business not knowing he went to Aquinas with my brother Steve. We struck up a friendship and have stayed in touch via Facebook. We had a few laughs at the expense of classmates like Kenny and Marty and Ron and others from that class. I had looked forward to looking him up when I retire, but I waited too long. He was a good one that will be missed.
We are so sorry. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Sorry to hear about the loss. I was truly shocked. As a DBE owned company of ShotgunHaus Designers, LLC, Don & I teamed up on an OPS project & won which turned into a major addition to the project. Little did I know I would be blessed with such a lion of a mentor for the next two years and earn the majority of my NCARB hours! Thank you sensei. As an Air Force Veteran (93-95) I salute you. RIP.
This is a huge loss that goes beyond Don’s family. It touches our society and especially the architecture, engineering, construction, and aviation communities. Don will be missed greatly.
Don and I were both members of the AHS Class of 70. I am sincerely sorry for you loss. Don obviously had a huge impact on many people and his community so there’s no doubt that all the good he has done will live on through many. Your family will remain in my thoughts and prayers!
Jane, I am so sorry for your loss. My family and I are so grateful for the warmth and friendship you and Don provided us. He will be missed.
Jane & family/friends; i’m so saddened to hear about Don’s passing; i too worked for him back in the 90s and have great memories; i saw him about 8 months ago in my walgreens store buying vitamins and we had a nice chat; RIP Don
Our sincere condolences to Don’s family and to his office of professionals with whom we have worked together with on building projects for so many years. We at F & B Constructors will miss him as a true standout among so many individuals in the architectural community. It has always been so clear to us how his vision and exceptional leadership permeated through his entire firm’s ranks in all our dealings with each person their in their varying roles in his firm. He cannot be replaced, but his kind of leadership has build a vibrant and exceptional firm that will no doubt carry on his vision and legacy for a long time.
Jane, my deepest condolences on your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
We want to pass along our sincere condolences Don’s Family and his fellow architects, office staff and many friends. I have gotten to know Don over these past years through my fellow architect friend Steve Riley. The many contacts that I had with Don when I visited him and Steve Riley in Omaha, Don generously took his time out of his busy day and visited with me. He and Steve were very helpful in their guidance when I decided to venture off and start my own architecture firm in 1992. Don always had a kind word and honest interest in what I was doing and many positive and encouraging comments. We will miss Don very much. Peace and many prayers to comfort you all.
Don has been a true life long friend. A special friend, Don was always good hearted, kind and compassionate. We enjoyed his wit and fun loving spirit. We will miss Don. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife and family. Connie and Gary
This morning I just received the news of Don’s much too soon passing. What a kind and gracious man. I will always remember Don with that million dollar smile on his face and the warm greeting he would give you whenever he saw you. I was Don’s barber for many years and I always looked forward to cutting his hair because we would have such great, rousing conversations. Whenever I spoke with Don he made me feel like he was truly interested in every word I had to say. I also cut Jane’s hair and have nothing but the fondest memories of both of them. Two great friends who would do anything in the world for you. Don, my friend, we will all miss your vivacious, uplifting personality but I know one thing for certain, Jane will miss you the most. My heart goes out to you, Jane. You and Don were kindred spirits. I’m so sorry for the great loss you have just suffered.
I am so sorry to hear this. Though we only met a few times, Don was a great professional. I will remember him as a kind man! Gone too soon!
Don was solely responsible for hiring me to work with him as a marketing consultant in the firm where he worked. It was there that I met the marketing director that i would later marry. that was 38 years ago, and we have remained close friends ever since. My wife, Joy, who worked for Don at the time has been the love of my life, and we both will never forget how he brought us together. Every trip back to Omaha from New York or Florida always included a visit to catch up on events. Don and Jane attended our wedding party at Bros. Sebastian’s, our favorite place of remembrance. I don’t know how the firm will get along without him, but I’m sure that his leadership instilled the best in all he touched. We both grieve along with Jane at his premature passing. Don will always have a special place in our hearts for bringing us together. What better gift could he leave behind than the gift of fostering true love – forever..
Janie, I am sorry to hear about Don’s passing. He was a giant in the architecture arena and a really engaging guy. I know you will miss him!
We are sorry to learn this news. Although our paths have not crossed much recently, we still have great memories of the years we spent as neighbors in Raven Oaks. Those were fun times. Our daughters always loved to go to your home on Halloween for the giant Hershey bars and to see the parrot. Jane, we will keep you in our prayers during the coming weeks.
Don was a special person who served and shared his time with me and many of my colleagues. He will be surely missed. God Speed!
I just heard this shocking news. Don and I worked together when we were both young architects in the ‘70’s at Boyer, Bischup, Bonge, Knoll, Scott & Assoc. (Architects Plus). We learned the business together and I always admired and remember his talent and spirit. In the past few years we exchanged several birthday and work anniversary messages on LinkedIn and just talked a bit about the old days. It was so great to catch up with him again, such a good guy. Jane, I’m so sorry, we all miss him. Such a shock and gone way too soon.
I met Don at the University of Nebraska in Fall of 1970. Among thousands of other students, I found a friend with a great sense of humor (and a passion for elaborate pranks), similar dreams (he got a Corvette, I did not). We 4th-year architecture students left the plains to study (??) for a semester in London. Don and I let our hair grow and imagined we were Beatles. It was a magical time. Don and I were roommates in college…until he met Jane. We graduated and spent several years at different firms. In 1983, Don boldly opened his own office. Three years later, I moved my family to Omaha to join Prochaska & Associates. In March, after 32 years at P&A, I retired. Don walked me out to my car that day. Four months later, he is gone. I see his picture in the paper…it is too surreal. He was a friend for 48 years.
It was surreal to see you all again; took be back to 1997 when i left prochaska & assoc to be full-time mom; wow i’m still in shock as i just saw him less than a year ago and we chatted; RIP Don
Growing up in Brainard, Nebraska, population 310, I have known Don since elementary school. He was so smart, always had a smile, never a troublemaker. Later in high school at Aquinas in David City, Nebraska, one could see that Don was destined for a great career in whatever he chose. I graduated two years earlier, but heard about his rise in business ventures from his parents. I met Jane before their wedding. In the past couple years, we were in contact by social media, and enjoyed conversation. Though now we are shocked and hurt, we can be reassured that Don is in heaven, talking God’s ear off about one project or another…
Don,
It is with a broken heart I write to You. I believe You are a once in a lifetime gift to those whom are blessed and fortunate to call You their friend. Your guidance, support, kindness, brilliance & awesome humor graced me for 22 lucky years. You shaped my life. You were the giant among giants for countless people. Losing You not only impacts my life, but also dims the community as well. You are so very loved & treasured, mere words can not express the huge loss we all feel. There are no words, You are the Man whom was always there making people feel You genuinely cared. Your perspective, kindness, wisdom, laughter and so much more will be desperately missed. You were the total package.
I’m going to share one of the last profound statements you ironically wrote to me just last week, for others to heed.
“Plan like You will live forever, live like you will die tomorrow”
I will miss You forever, your footprint will always be on my Soul.
Rest now, Sweet Don.
Rest In Peace my friend. Don was a huge blessing in my life. Don was THE example of integrity, wisdom, wit and of course humor! He shared a great deal of wisdom and knowledge with me. He will be greatly missed. My prayers for Jane and the family.
Don was not only my boss, but truly my friend. We worked under many stressful deadlines together, but always managed to laugh about it at the end of the day. I am grateful that he was a part of my life and always offered the best fatherly one line anecdotes that was always fitting for the situation. I will miss the stories he would often tell me about his adventures. His untimely death is truly a loss for all that knew and worked with him. Love and prayers to Jane and his family…….
My simpathy and prayers for the family. Don and I have known each other for a long time. I had a good conversation with Don on Thursday the 28th as we have a RFP for consultants that he was interested in for one of our facilities. This is a loss for the consultant world and the community.
Jane, I am so sorry for your loss. Don was a close friend and I am glad to have met with him for several hours the night before he passed. He was a founding member of our Vistage Group and we all were beneficiaries of his wit, wisdom and readiness to help everyone. I will sorely miss our monthly meetings as well as our multiple interactions in between. RIP Don, RIP, I’ll miss you.
We are so sorry for your untimely loss, Jane. Don was the best and wittiest wedding photographer ever !
Twenty one years ago he captured our small ceremony with the best judge presiding (Jane) perfectly.
Rest in peace Don Prochaska
I was introduced to Don in 1970 by my high school classmate Steve Riley when we were freshmen at UNL. We reconnected after Steve joined his firm in 1986. The first time I visited the firm he treated me like an old friend, which we surely became over the years. His occasional personal calls to check up on me and my business were always a treat, whether his firm was involved in a project for me or not. When he learned that my son Eric was attending Creighton University he took it upon himself to become a mentor, meeting him for lunches, and business meetings that evolved into a years long friendship. After reading all of the wonderful testaments to Don and how he lived his life I find it difficult to add much more other than to hope that should we all be so lucky to have so many friends with such good memories of us when we pass. All that knew ye will miss and fondly remember ye.
Jane my thoughts and prayers are with you
Jane, we were saddened to hear of your loss. We’ve thought of you often since moving from Omaha. Our wish for you after Don’s passing is that time will help heal the raw edges of grief and allow you to move forward to a place where good memories will bring you peace and pleaserure.
We were so sorry to hear about Don’s untimely death. Our thoughts are with all of the family. We had out of town guests and were not able to attend the services.
I and my wife, Sandi, send our deepest condolences to Don’s family, associates in his firm, and his many friends. I got to know Don while I was with Kirkham Michael & Associates, and we stayed in touch over the years. His good spirit was contagious. He will be missed, without doubt, by all of us who knew him past and present. His positive imprint will remain not only in his designs but in our hearts, too.
Jane, I’m stunned. Just learned of Don’s death. There are few people I liked as much as Don. Always loved every conversation with him. I’m so sorry to hear he passed. It’s a huge loss for Omaha. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help in the estate or business transition issues. Would love to help you through all the complexities. Much love your way. David and Kim Nabity.
Don,
You were an amazing man. You had a profound influence on my life and I credit you with most of the knowledge I have about business, even today. You inspired me with your non-stop effervescence. The hours and hours of conversations we had will never be forgotten. I’ll always cherish you. I take great comfort in knowing your spirit is finally free.
Yours,
Kitty
P.S. Thank you for the monarch. ♥
Jane – I just learned about Don’s death. He was an amazing Soul – bigger than life – who taught me a lot. I will never forget! He was much loved, as I have seen from these Testimonies! Prayers to you and the Prochaska Family! God Bless!
Don my great friend and brother, I’m just hearing about your death, It is so sad you are gone. I spoke with you couple of years ago as per you stopping by to Des Moines to see us. May your soul rest in peace. I’m still in shock.
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