Donald E. Queen

Donald Earl Queen, 74, of Swanton, Ohio, passed away on December 15, 2023 at his home. He was born in Toledo, Ohio on August 12, 1949 to the late Emmett and Thelma Queen.

In addition to his loving wife of 50 years, Kathleen, Don is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Amy and Ryan Gillmor; his two grandchildren, Kelsey and Justin Gillmor; and sister, Judy Letson.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Shirley Richardson; brother, Robert Queen and his mother-in-law, Irene Ziolkowski.

The only thing bigger than his larger than life personality was the love for his family and friends. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and a friend to all. There were no boundaries to what he would not give or do for another person. He was humble about his own accomplishments but so prideful of his daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren. He never missed an opportunity to share about his family to others.

Don loved to host dinner parties, gardening, and camping with his wife. He loved to fish and also enjoyed golfing and bowling throughout his lifetime. He spent many wild summer weekends with his friends at different lake houses. They also made memories at Put-n-Bay that would make people blush. Lake Erie was his happy place and sharing it with Kathy; soaking up the peaceful sights and sounds it provided. Together they worked in their garden and then admired their hard work while relaxing on the back deck. He would spend many evenings birdwatching while smoking a cigar and sipping a cocktail.

Don graduated from Whitmer High School. He then served in the Army as an air traffic controller from 1969-1971 and had been stationed in Quang Tri Vietnam. He worked at Schmidt Bros for 25 years and was also a truck driver. Most recently, he drove as a courtesy van driver for St. Luke's Hospital/ProMedica. His generous nature also led him to be a volunteer with the Swanton Rescue Squad and youth sport coach in the past. If you needed someone to dress as the Easter Bunny for the orphanage or Uncle Sam in stilts, he was your guy. He’d give you his time, tools and skills to help fix or build anything you needed.

Heaven has gained the life of the party and a friend to all. He is now at peace after his immense battle against cancer this past year. Don gave it all he could just to have more time with us. We are all better people for knowing him and having him in our lives.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked any donations be directed to Purple Heart Homes (purplehearthomesusa.org) or the Faith Lutheran Church of Swanton, Ohio. The Celebration of Life, planned to be held Saturday, January 13, 2024, has been canceled. The family will be rescheduling at a later date. Please feel free to contact the family with any questions.