Donald J. Savinsky, 80, U.S. Army Veteran

He was born July 8, 1936 on West 17 th Street in Lorain. After attending Nativity BVM Elementary School in Lorain for 9 years (he was in their first kindergarten class) and Hawthorne for 9 th Grade, he moved to Sheffield Lake in the 10th grade. As a senior at Brookside High School, he helped the 1953-1954 basketball team to a 20-3 record.

After graduation, he served in the US Army from 1955-1957. He earned the Expert Marksmanship award and was in the Honor Guard and Security Platoon for the 85 th Infantry Regiment of the 10 th Division (which was the first unit to go Gyroscope with the “Big Red One”), the 1 st Division and spent 18 months in Bamberg, Germany as a post military policeman.

Don played baseball, softball, bowled, golfed, enjoyed photography and genealogy, like to read, do crossword puzzles, did computer work and was an Indians, Browns and Buckeye fan.

After working 36 years for BF Goodrich in Avon Lake and then 3 more years in Brecksville, he retired in 1996.

He was a member of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Lorain where he served as an usher for over 25 years. He was a member of the Lorain County Computer Users Group and secretary for the BF Goodrich/Geon Retirees Club where he composed the newsletter from 2005-2008.

During his lifetime he donated over 8 gallons of blood to various organizations and 298 units of platelets to the Lorain County Blood Bank.

Don was known as a joke teller and among his favorite was the “Two Blondes driving to Disney World” joke. In 2014, his high school basketball team was inducted into the Brookside Athletic Hall of Fame.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years Betty Ann Savinsky (nee Berstling); children: Deborah Jean (Bill) Gilles of Amherst, Susan Marie (Rick) Zajkowski of Powell and Donald Stephen Savinsky of Gahanna; grandchildren: Bryan & Benjamin Gilles, Collin, Evan & Lauren Zajkowski and Brandon Savinsky. He was preceded in death by his parents Walter & Anne Savinsky (nee Greedan), sister Ruth Joan Uszak in 2012 and brothers Walter Thomas Savinsky in 1985 and Robert Edward Savinsky this past Thanksgiving day.

The family will receive friends Friday December 2, 2016 from 3:00-7:00 pm at the Gluvna-Shimo- Hromada Funeral Chapel, 3224 Broadway Ave, Lorain. Funeral services will be held Saturday December 3, 2016 at 9:30 am in the funeral chapel followed by the mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 am at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, 1305 E. Erie Ave, Lorain. The Rev. Edward Smith, pastor, will officiate. Burial with military honors will follow in Calvary Cemetery in Lorain.

Instead of monetary donations, Don requests you to give a pint or more of blood or a few units of platelets to Life Share Blood Bank. You will be glad you did. And tell them Don sent you.

Online condolences can be made at www.gluvna.net.