He attended Gunnedah High School and landed his first job at the town’s ANZ bank.

In 1968, he married Heather Connor and they were blessed with three lovely daughters Gina, Renee, and Lana.

Don had a strong community spirit and was involved with Apex, Rotary and the promotion of the Armidale region.

His other interests included planes, model trains, and one particular old automobile. 

Don’s local government and community service career is an exceptional story by any measure. 

He began in 1969 as an administration clerk in the abattoir division of Gunnedah Municipal Council and then as the cost clerk.

His next stint was for five years at the Liverpool Plains Shire as administration and accounting clerk, followed by three years at Coolah Shire as deputy shire clerk.

From 1981 to 1982, Don was deputy shire clerk at Warren, and in 1982 he commenced his long relationship with Armidale when he secured the deputy shire clerk’s position at Dumaresq Shire Council.

Don was a casualty of the year 2000 voluntary merger between the Armidale City and Dumaresq Council.

Undeterred, he commenced his Northern Property Services consultancy and later Innovative Regional Solutions consultancy. 

But he simply could not keep away from local government and his passion for the sector was evident in his work.

From 2000 to 2002 he provided consultancy services to Tamworth City Council, Wyong Shire, Cobar Shire and Brewarrina Shire. 

And in 2002 he was economic development officer at Bellingen Shire, this time until 2005.

From 2005 to 2009 Don served as the executive officer to the New England North West Regional Development Board and then to the Regional Development Australia Northern Inland Committee.

Don also held other roles on a number of boards and committees throughout the state.

Those who knew him described Don as a warm, genuine person and a wonderful human being.

Don is survived by his wife Heather, his three beautiful girls, Gina, Renee, and Lana, his four grandchildren and his brother Graham.