An Alaska resident since 1957, Don was born June 9, 1920, in Dillon, Mont., the son of Earl and Lillian Wheat. He had two brothers, Ken and Harold, and one sister, Eleanore, all deceased.
Music was a lifelong passion with Don. He began playing trombone in the fourth grade and later directed a drum and bugle corps and then taught band in grade school.
His other great passion was sports. He began playing high school football while in eighth grade, and lettered all four years and was named to the American Boy Magazine All-American team. He also lettered four years in basketball and his team won the state Class B Championship in 1936 and they were contenders in 1937 and 1938.
He attended the University of Washington his freshman year and was asked to attend fall and spring football practice but the following year an appendix operation kept him in Dillon, so he entered Western Montana College. There he met the love of his life, Mildred Harrington. He played football there in 1940 and 1941, and then he and Milly were married on Aug. 6, 1941.
Don entered the Army Air Corps and became an officer and Milly was mostly able to follow him on his various assignments. They ended up in Los Angeles where Tracie was born in 1943 and Stephen in 1945. Don played semi-pro football while there.
Don and family returned to Dillon where he and his brother Harold saved the family business, a bottling works. Don also took classes to be a teacher and administrator. The business sold in 1952. Son Scot was born in 1954. Don taught for a few years, then found a job as a junior high principal on Fort Richardson. After three years there, they moved to Fairbanks and lived there until 2005.
He had enjoyed his visits to Homer so much he eventually bought a duplex, a large sport fishing boat and helped his friend Paul Johnson buy a parcel of land there. In later years he helped his son Scot buy land with a small house out East End Road where Scot lives to this day.
Don retired in 1975, after which they traveled to Europe, even competing in his sports passion, curling, in Scotland. In 1966 he was a member of the Alaska State Championship team and went to Hibbing, Minn. to compete in the U.S. Championships.
Don is in the Western Montana College Hall of Fame and was invited to the Detroit Lions training camp, but the war and draft ended that possibility.
Don always found comfort in his Catholic faith. A Mass was said for him on Aug. 18 in Florida. His remains will be cremated and eventually spread at Bonnie Lake near Palmer, a place he loved dearly.
He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Mildred, daughter Tracie (Dave) Dunkin of Beverly Hills, Fla., sons and daughters-in-law Steve and Carole Wheat of Polson, Mont., and Scot and Kelly Wheat of Homer; nieces and nephews Jackie, Mickey, DeDe, Jim and David; and grandchildren Michael, Crystal, Laurie and Traci.
Condolences can be sent to the Dunkins, 4309 North Sacramento Ave., Beverly Hills, Fla. 34465
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