Don and his twin, Dee, were born on Thanksgiving Day, 1924, on the family farm in St. Paul, Kan. He was the son of John H. and Ruth E. (Mudd) Van Leeuwen. Don worked on the farm until the age of 21, when he moved to Dayton, Ohio.
On Oct. 20, 1951, Don married Mary Aline Murray at St. Albert the Great Church.
Don started Van Leeuwen Land Title Co. and later retired as vice president of Chicago Title Insurance Co. He was a member of the Ohio Land Title Association and served as president in 1978.
Don was preceded in death by his wife of 52 years, Aline. He was also preceded in death by his parents; and siblings, Jack Van Leeuwen, Roselle Marnell, Vera Karlskint, Hubert, Leroy and Cecelia Van Leeuwen.
Don is survived by his five children, their spouses and eight grandchildren: Mary Ellen (Van Leeuwen) and Barry Aldemeyer and their children, Sarah and Michael; Donald H. Van Leeuwen and his children, Michael and Angela; Catherine (Van Leeuwen) and Patrick Duffy; Laura (Van Leeuwen) and Barth Snyder and their children, Becky (Snyder) Rehmann, her husband, Jarod, and Rachel Snyder; and John M. Van Leeuwen and his children, Emily and Joseph. He is also survived by his brothers, Robert ‘Bob’ Van Leeuwen and Gerald ‘Jerry’ Van Leeuwen; and his sisters, Delia ‘Dee’ and Mary Jean ‘Mary’ Seidl.
Don was a loving husband, father and grandfather and will be greatly missed by his family and friends. The family wishes to thank Don’s close friend, Richard ‘Dick’ Leibold, for his kindness and humor. They also thank Don’s physician, Dr. Larry Lawhorne, for his remarkable dedication and compassion. The family appreciates the outstanding care provided by the staff of Bethany Lutheran Rehabilitation Center, Health at Home, Hands at Home and Hospice of Dayton. The family is grateful to the priests of St. Albert the Great parish for their kindness during Don’s illness.
Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Westbrock Funeral Home, 5980 Bigger Road, Kettering, OH, 45440. Mass of Christian burial will be at noon Wednesday at St. Albert the Great Church, 3033 Far Hills Ave, Kettering. Mass will be officiated by Don’s cousin, Father Joe Van Leeuwen of the Passionist Mission in India. Family and friends are invited to prayers at 11 a.m. at the funeral home before the Mass. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Congregation of the Passion, www.passionist.org. Envelopes will be available at the visitation, or contributions can sent in care of Westbrock Funeral Home, www.westbrockfuneralhome.com.
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