Donald Pfeifer Obituary

Donald Wayne Pfeifer, 75, of Madison, CT, died on Dec. 4, 2011.

Don was born on Sept. 25, 1936 in Aurora, IL, son of the late Willard and Ruth Pfeifer; and brother of the late Dean Pfeifer. Don married his wife, Jean, in Plainfield, IL on Jan. 25, 1959.

He was a devoted husband, and his favorite pastime was travel with his wife. Don traveled across the globe, but his most loved destination was Akumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico, which he visited every year since 1980. Don was also a great dancer and music fan.

A graduate of East Aurora High School, Don went on to earn a B.S. in Civil Engineering and a M.S. in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. He dedicated his professional life to the study of concrete. His early career was at the Portland Cement Association, the Precast Concrete Institute (PCI), and the Westinghouse Precast Concrete Division. Don worked from 1976 to his retirement in 1998 at Wiss Janney Elstner Associates in Northbrook.

Don was a member and Fellow of PCI, the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and the honorary fraternities Chi Epsilon and Sigma Tau. He served on technical committees for PCI and ACI, and he published more than 70 technical papers. During his career, Don traveled to over 15 countries to help advance the technology of concrete.

In addition to his wife Jean, Donald is survived by his son, David Pfeifer; and daughter-in-law, Caryn Block; his daughter, Paula Powers; and three grandsons, Brendan Powers, Kyle Powers and Jacob Pfeifer.

The Memorial Service will be held at the First Congregational Church of Madison, CT at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10. A reception will immediately follow at the Church House.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Scranton Library, 801 Boston Post Rd., Madison, CT 06443 or the Madison Ambulance Association, 35 Bradley Rd., Madison CT 06443.

Published in Chicago Tribune on December 7, 2011