Don’s family is grateful for your prayers and support.

Don was born February 6, 1929 in Elyria, Ohio to the late Wallace and Gertrude (nee Gall) Tibbitts. He and Katherine Haring were married November 3, 1956 and had three children together. A longtime resident of Valley City, Ohio, Don moved to be with his Colorado family in 2018.

Don honorably served his country in the United States Air Force for four years, where he engaged in pilot training and airframe repair. His adventurous spirit led him to explore various employment, including working on a canal boat, carpentry, and banking, before he accidentally discovered his true calling in teaching.

Don taught industrial arts at Brunswick Junior and Senior High Schools for one year.  He went on to teach 8th grade science at Medina Junior High.  He retired in 1983 after 26 years of dedicated service. Retirement could not quell his passion for education. He volunteered teaching math at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Brunswick, Ohio. His ongoing desire was also evidenced in his visits to his granddaughters’ schools to share fun science experiments with their classes, his letters to the physics departments of several colleges and universities, his propensity to ask anyone, “Do you know how to bend an object?” and the volumes of scientific essays he composed. Don’s curiosity remained vibrant as he pursued the “how and why” of things, Bernoulli’s principle, Newton’s laws as they pertain to inertia, and more, into the last few months of his life on earth.

During summer breaks, Don and Kathy took their family traveling throughout the United States and parts of Canada. In his lifetime, he visited every state except Alaska. He and Kathy also ventured to Mexico and Europe.

Don’s knack for problem-solving earned him a reputation as a handyman. He performed numerous tasks, small and large; from fixing a toaster to building his own house. He had a heart for helping people and used his handyman skills for the benefit of many individuals. He volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and donated time over 2 summers repairing buildings at the Ysleta Lutheran Mission in El Paso, Texas.

Even in his later years, Don remained a man of adventure.  At 89 years old, he went rafting on a reservoir and tent camping. At 90, he went paragliding and rode a dirt bike. At 92, he flew in a small airplane, even taking over the controls briefly, for the first time in over 60 years! At 95, he rode on both a 1934 fire truck and a snow sled. During these same years, he was also able to travel to Ysleta Lutheran Mission, California, Oregon, and to visit Air Force buddies in Washington state.

Don is survived by his children, Dale (Jacqueline) Tibbitts, Darlene (Wolfgang-deceased) Lampert, and Deborah (Jerry) Weigel; grandchildren, Sonja (Lewis) Engledowl, Tiffany (Khanh) Bui, Mikaela Weigel, and Mackenzie (David) Duran; and great-grandchild, Landus Engledowl. He was preceded in death by his wife, Katherine, and brothers, Clifford and Franklin Tibbitts.

Don was a faithful member of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Valley City, Ohio and regularly attended Family of Faith Lutheran Church, Peyton, Colorado.

Memorial service at Family of Faith Lutheran Church will be held March 22, 2025 at 11 A.M.

Memorial service at St. Paul Lutheran Church 1377 Lester Road Valley City, Ohio will be held  April 16, 2025,  11:00 a.m. with visitation from 10:00-11:00 a.m.  prior to the service,

Inurnment will follow immediately in St. Paul Church Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the following:

St. Paul Lutheran Church, 1377 Lester Rd, Valley City, OH 44280

Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care, 301 S Schutz Rd, El Paso, TX 79907

Family of Faith Lutheran Church, 6355 E Blaney Rd, Peyton, CO 80831

The Bauer Funeral Home, Valley City, OH has the honor of serving the Tibbitts family.