Donald L. Myers passed away at his home in Santa Rosa CA. on March 1, 2011.
Donald is survived by his loving wife of 57 years Christine K. Myers and sons Donald L. Myers, James H. Myers, daughter Christine M. Nelson and three grandchildren. Natalie, Alexandra and Will Nelson
Don was born in Kirksville Missouri to Edna L. Myers and Pearl Myers.
He lived and grew up in Kirksville and after attending Kirksville Jr. High school moved to Colorado Springs CO. where he finished high school and two years at Colorado College.
After joining the Navy during World War II, as part of the war effort, he was placed in the Naval Reserve and assigned to Pan American World Airways in their maintenance division. He worked in both the Seattle Washington and San Francisco bay areas. During the latter part of his service he worked on Pan Am’s flying boats in the “cold and wind” of Treasure Island in the middle of San Francisco bay. Pan Am’s operations and his duties eventually moved to Mills Field now known as San Francisco International Airport.
Although not the beginning of his aviation career his service at Pan Am forever sealed his love of flying and aviation. It was while working at Pan Am that Don and two partners formed the “Air Service Co.” to provide services to the nascent general aviation industry. They foresaw the coming boom at war’s end and the need to support all the new flying activity.
Ever the entrepreneur, after his Honorable discharge from the Navy in 1946, Don moved his new business to Bay Meadows Airport in San Mateo. The business provided flight instruction, repair services and parts to the many small airplanes in the area. It also started one of the first commercial helicopter operations in northern California providing instruction, power line patrol and aerial photography.
After a few business name changes, and after his partners took jobs elsewhere, Don changed his company’s name to the Don L. Myers Co. and moved it to the Palo Alto Airport in the early 1950’s. There he specialized in aircraft parts sales to general aviation and airlines around the world.
It was during this busy time where he met and married the love of his life Christine. Their three children also inherited his love of aviation.
In the early 1970’s Don took on another business challenge and purchased a flight school, flight charter department and maintenance facility to add to his parts company. He operated it successfully until the industry downturn in the late 1970’s where he finally shut his company down and semi-retired to Morgan Hill CA.
He kept his hand in aviation by brokering aircraft sales and providing management services.
Never one to sit idly around, his interests took him in another direction. This time to politics. In the late 1980’s and throughout the 1990’s he worked tirelessly as President of a local Morgan Hill group, CORD, Citizens for Orderly Responsible Development. He felt strongly about controlled growth and housing development and helped make that a reality in Morgan Hill. Measure P was the voter-approved residential growth initiative that aimed to allow city services to keep pace with residential growth. More than anything Don’s gracious demeanor and strong sense of fairness were the characteristics that made him a successful spokesman for CORD. He was always thinking about the welfare of Morgan Hill.
He made many friends in his life, who along with his family will always remember his kind and caring ways. He is survived by dear friends Steve Tate, Dennis Kennedy, Cynthia Cook, Gerry Kammelar, Bernie Mulligan, Ralph and Sue Lyle, Clark and Linda McDonald and Fred Bassett.
He lived his life with dignity, purpose and grace. He will be missed.
No public services will be held. In lieu of flowers, his family asks you make a donation to the charity of your choice.
DANIELS CHAPEL OF THE ROSES FUNERAL AND CREMATION SERVICES, 707-525-3730
