- Date Of Birth: November 19, 1943
- Date Of Death: September 1, 2012
- State: Indiana
Donald attended Cowan School and Muncie Central High School, took technical training in Micro Wave Communications in the U.S. Army and graduated from Morehaead State University, with a Bachelors degree in Business Administration and was a decorated Veteran of the U. S. Army.
Don enlisted in the Indiana National Guard in 1962 and was in Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training. He re-enlisted in the U. S. Army and bravely served his beloved country in Vietnam in micro wave radio communications. When Don returned to the USA, he was stationed in Ft. Huachuca, Arizona. He was discharged with a rank of Staff Sergeant on April 2, 1970 to Ft. Huachuca, Arizona. After discharge he remained in Arizona with his wife, Marie Clemens, DeHart where his first son, Shawn was born. Don worked as a ranch hand in Arizona for a period of time and then returned to Alabama where her continued to raise horses and a variety of livestock. He took pride in growing his own hay. His second son Heath was born in Alabama. Don was employed for a number of years be Revere Copper and Brass, Inc. in Scottsboro, Alabama. Don then had the opportunity to again serve his country as Logistician for the Patriot Missile Program for the U.S.
Don and Pam were married October 23, 2004 in a beautiful ceremony at the Historic Roberts Hotel in Muncie. After Don’s retirement, he returned to Muncie where he joined his bride Pamela. Much of his retirement has been spent on their horse ranch known as SR Quarter Horses, north of Muncie raising quarter horses for team roping, cutting, barrel racing and other contesting events and grooming his Grand Daughter Grace, in barrel racing competitions. Don, himself competed in an International Barrel Racing Association event in the fall of 2011. Don and Pam traveled to various contesting events in Indiana and Ohio supporting the horse industry. The local crowd is always happy to see them arrive as their motor home was always the center of good food and an unlimited serving of wit and wisdom for our own “real cowboy”, Don. Don himself was an accomplished horseman. He was an avid team roper and competed all over the United States but he was best known in the South and West for his team roping skills. In Indiana Don became an active participant in the racing industry. He raced Quarter Horses and Thorobreds in Anderson.
He belonged to many professional horse associations, among them were, the American Quarter Horse Assn (AQHA), the U.S. Team Roping Comp. (USTRC), Quarter Horse Racing Association of Indiana and the International Barrel Racing Association.
Survivors include his wife, Pamela DeHart, Muncie; two sons, Shawn DeHart, (wife, Anne Marie), Grandt Alabama and Heath DeHart, (wife, Angela), Fayetteville, Tennessee; and Step-Son, Brian Hollars, Muncie; mother, Olive V. DeHart; two sisters, Sue Brown, Morehead, Kentucky, and Carol DeHart, (husband, Carl), Tipp City, Ohio; a brother, Gary DeHart, (wife, Jan), Lexington, Kentucky; mother-in-law, Dorothy Dixon, Muncie; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Sheila and James Cannon and Cindy and Arthur Noftz; five grandchildren, Noah DeHart, Ethan DeHart, Anderson DeHart, Jacob Hollars Grace Hollars and their mother Christine Hollars; five nieces, Terri Speaks, (husband, Jack), Melissa Brown, Jennifer Powell, (husband, Kevin), children Courtney and Emily; Katy DeHart and Christine Brown, (husband, Andy), children Adam and Ethan and one nephew Steven DeHart, (wife, Amanda), children Andrew and Ashton.
He was preceded in death by his father, Cletis E. DeHart and his father-in-law, Cleo Dixon.
