Donald Tyer, 80, Oct. 31, 1930 - Oct. 11, 2011

Lt. Col Donald R. Tyer, USMCR (Ret.) of Wheaton died Tuesday, Oct. 11 after battling pneumonia at Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield. He was 80. He was born October 31, 1930 in Pittsfield, MA and grew up in Lee, MA.

He graduated with a B.S. from St. Michael’s College in Vermont and an M.A.Ed. from East Carolina College in North Carolina.

He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps in 1952. He retired after serving 23 years as a Motor Transport Officer and Data Systems Manager. From 1966-1967, he served in Vietnam as the Motor Transport Operations Officer with 3d Marine Division and from 1972-1973, as Commanding Officer, 3D Motor Transport Battalion, Okinawa, Japan. His final Marine Corps assignment was serving as a project officer in the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.

After retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel, he began a second career as Director of Personnel and Administration, for Arthur Anderson & Co., Chicago, IL from 1976-1996.

After his second retirement, he devoted his time to caring for his wife Lucille, of fifty-eight years, who preceded him in death in December 2010. He also volunteered his time as a member of the Knights of Columbus at St. Michael's Church, Wheaton and from 2000-2002, worked as a substitute teacher for District 200 schools in Wheaton.

He is survived by five daughters, Beverly, Deborah, Betsy, Theresa and Nora; two sons, Michael and Donald; 20 grandchildren; a cousin; nine sisters-in-law; six brothers-in-law; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Catherine McCaffrey; his father, William Tyer, his brothers Thomas and William Tyer, his brothers-in-law Bertrand Trudeau, Albert Longchamp and his sister-in-law Frances Tyer.

Family members wish to express their heartfelt gratitude to the doctors, nurses, techs and therapists of the Central DuPage Hospital 3ICU, whose exceptionally compassionate care helped to make his final days and hours a time of hope and finally, of peace.

A visitation was held Friday, Oct. 14. at Williams-Kampp Funeral Home, in Wheaton.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to St. Joseph's Indian School, Chamberlain, SD, http://www.stjo.org or the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans, 119 N. West St., Wheaton, IL.