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Donald Carl Himsel, Sr., of Essex, and, of late, Haddam, died on Feb. 17 at Middlesex Hospital.

Born March 19, 1933, to Lester John and Grace Carol (Bauer) Himsel in Terre Haute, Indiana, Don was midwestern-raised, the son of an F.W. Woolworth store manager, who eventually married his Arthur Hill High School sweetheart, Marna Himsel. He was a graduate of Purdue University with a degree in mechanical engineering, attending through the United States Air Force ROTC program. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He served his country proudly, earning the rank of captain with the United States Air Force.

After his military service with the 345 Bomb Group in Langley, Virginia, Don applied his talent for management, finance, and manufacturing with a number of companies in New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Virginia, and Connecticut, settling with his family in Madison and Essex for many years.

Don was disciplined, persistent, and exacting in everything, most notably in every aspect of lawn and homecare, expecting every blade of grass to stand at attention. He was into fitness before it was a thing, could navigate the Internet even into his 80s, and continually strived to learn, believing a reputable YouTube video was the next best thing to a screwdriver when it came to home maintenance.

His legacy is more than a garage full of gadgets and tools, although those are really great, passing on the skill of riding a bike, ice skating, driving a car, living within your means, the benefit of dollar cost averaging, how to paint (which he hated to do), and the value of repairing rather than replacing. Dad’s words still ring in the ears of his kids, “Just make sure you take care of it.”

He had a lifelong love of all things aviation, and his dedication to his Indiana roots lived through his passion for the Indianapolis 500 auto race. Don loved beef stroganoff, cheesecake, and chocolate ice cream sprinkled with peanuts.

He gave the world a veterinarian, a photojournalist and EMT, a musician and entrepreneur, a nurse, a sailor in the United States Navy, and the yet-to-be-known callings of his and Marna’s younger grandchildren.

He was predeceased by his wife Margaret “Marna” Gremel, to whom he was married for 63 years, and his sister Joanne Himsel Izumi. Don is survived by his son Donald Himsel, Jr., of Concord, New Hampshire and his children Geoff, Austin, and Olivia; and his daughter Carol Himsel Daly of Ivoryton and her children Erin-Katherine and Anna.

Carol and Don extend their sincere gratitude to Drs. Dominic Casablanca and Joshua Jones of East Hampton Family Practice and the hospice nurses of Middlesex Hospital for their kindness and care.