Don W. LeMay, age 93, of Medford, passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 26th at the Aberjona Nursing center and Rehab, after a brief illness.
He was born August 29, 1929, in Schram City, Illinois, to the late William and Carrie LeMay. He was preceded in death by his wife, Amy (Walton) LeMay and a brother, Melvin Eugene LeMay. He is survived by his daughter, Susan LeMay; sister, Linda Camp; his grandchildren, Byran D. Martinez (deceased) his wife Heather, Ami Y. Martinez and Brandon E. Martinez and his girlfriend Cheryl Shauger. Also surviving are four great-grandchildren, Matea, and Scarlett, Viviana and Cameron; two nieces, Kerri Cravens and Andrea Camp; two nephews, Gene Jr. and wife Jackie LeMay and John and wife Jennifer Hartnett Camp; five grand nephews, Dan Cravens, Gene LeMay III, Chris LeMay and Nathan LeMay; Max Camp; one grand-niece, Harper Camp. Also surviving are one great-niece, Natalie Cravens and one great-nephew Victor Cravens; and countless dear friends that he gathered over his lifetime.
Don graduated from Hillsboro Community High School in 1947 and worked briefly for Caterpillar Tractor Company in Peoria, IL. He subsequently entered the Air Force serving in Germany, England, Italy, Viet Nam, NJ, CO, and MA where he retired in 1976 as a Senior Master Sergeant. In 1978 he returned to the US Government’s civil service workforce and began his second career with the Federal Railroad Administration in Washington D.C. After a brief stay with the FRA, Don transferred to the US Army and served briefly at Ft Belvoir, VA before relocating to the nearby Pentagon’s Office of the Secretary of the Army where he remained 9 years working as a senior Personnel Staffing and Classification Specialist. While in that assignment he handled not only routine, but a significant number of complex staffing and position classification actions located throughout the Army’s headquarters complex.
In 1988, Don, transferred to the Department of the Navy’s Boston Civilian Personnel Office and was appointed Head of that Office in 1991 before retiring in 1994.
As USAF Manpower and Management Superintendent and later an accomplished Human Resources official, Don received numerous awards including the Bronze Star, AF Meritorious Service Medal, The AF Commendation Medal, and several Civil Service Meritorious service performance awards from both the Army and Navy.
He was a longtime member of the Classification and Compensation Society, Washington, DC and the National Association for Uniformed Services, Springfield, VA.
Don’s funeral service will be conducted in the Dello Russo Funeral Home, 306 Main St, Medford, on Monday, September 11th at 11 AM followed by burial at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Arlington. Visiting hours will be held on Sunday, September 10th, from 3 - 7 PM. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675.