Donald Ray Van Every was born May 7th, 1935, at Park Hospital in Mason City Iowa. He died July 28, 2023, in Laguna Niguel California. His parents were Harry Edward and Gladys Jensena (Wangen)

Don grew up in Mason City Iowa and loved to tell people in California that it was the home of Meredith Wilson and the basis for the fictitious "River City Iowa" from the musical "The Music Man". He started working at a young age down the street from his home at 521 North Delaware. It was just down the street from Midway Market and Birdsall's ice cream where he picked up ice cream cups before school for a nickel.

He was a natural athlete and like his older brothers excelled at track and field. His specialty was the individual half mile and two-mile relay. He participated in the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa and won a trophy during his service time in the army while stationed in Germany.

He enlisted in the US Army and took basic training at Camp Chaffee Arkansas in August 1955. He was stationed at Jaeger Kaserne in Aschaffenburg Germany until honorably discharged in 1958. He was SP4 Specialist E4 training as a microwave radio operator.

Don met the love of his life and future wife, Janet on a blind date in 1958. That evening, and on many more to come, they spent dancing rocking around the clock, doing the jitterbug at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake Iowa. They were married on June 25, 1960.

Don worked at Jacob E. Decker Meat packing plant, later acquired by Armour Foods, from September 1959 until its closure in 1975. At that time, he and Janet put the house on the market and were planning to transfer to the Armour plant in Fort Madison, Iowa while waiting a couple of years for a new Mason City plant to be built. They ended up making the decision to take a layoff instead for the two years and stay in Mason City.

While waiting for the new plant to be built, Don attended North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) using the GI bill and received his certification in refrigeration and air conditioning. He worked for the next year as a salesman at Smitty's Air Conditioning supply. He returned to the new Armour Foods plant and worked there until he injured his shoulder and could no longer work on the loading dock.

Don and Janet fulfilled a dream and moved to California in 1991. Their son Bob and wife Tracy already lived in California and daughter Robin and husband Paul were soon to follow.  They lived first in Temecula and then moved to Murrieta Hot Springs. In 2022 they moved to Laguna Woods.

Don and Janet attended Hope Lutheran Church in Temecula for nearly 25 years. During that time Don was very active in the church choir and as a soloist. He also participated in many musical productions over the years with a favorite being the role of Jacob in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat".

He loved his wife, kids and grandkids the most. But a close second was the Iowa Hawkeyes and LA (Minnesota) Lakers. He also enjoyed fishing, golfing, scenery and being outdoors. He loved to travel and spent many hours looking at maps and atlases dreaming of where he would like to travel next. Las Vegas and the local casinos were a favorite pastime.

He was a true gentleman and kind to everyone around him. He was everybody's friend. As he got older, he loved to talk to anyone and everyone. The kids will miss his Donald Duck impression.

He was preceded in death by his siblings David, James, Beth & Bobby. He is survived by his wife Janet, brother Jerry, daughter and son-in-law Robin and Paul Bull, son and daughter-in-law Robert and Theresa Van Every, five grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.

A memorial service celebrating his life will be held on a date in 2023 to be determined later.