Donald A. Livesay, MSGT (Ret.) USAF, age 99, died on Tuesday, August 16, 2016 at Clarkson Health Care. The family and friends of Don would like to thank Clarkson Health Care staff for their wonderful care over the past 2 years.

Don was born to Thomas and Alma (Davis) Livesay on January 19, 1917, in Sioux Rapids, Iowa. He had one older brother, Thomas. A few days after Don's birth, his mother passed away, so his father took him to his grandparent's home in Ashley, IL to live with until he was 10 years old. During this time his father had passed away and his grandparents weren't able to care for the two boys any longer, so his grandparents were forced to take the boys to the orphanage in Normal IL. A year later the government offered his grandparents support if they became guardians of the boys. His grandparents agreed to do so, and they moved back in with them.

When Don was 17 years old he joined the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) and pruned trees along the Chicago Canal. About a year later he moved to Paxton, Ill. and worked for the France Broom Factory until 1940 when he joined the Army Air Corps and was stationed at Chanute AFB in Rantoul, IL, and then, as the service does, he moved all over for the next 20 years (and 2 months.)

While in the Army Air Corps, he was a Crew Chief, Flight Chief, Line Chief, and 1st Sergeant, flying on B25's, C45's, C46's, C47's, and the C119's when he was stationed here at EAFB. He also met his first wife, Evelyn, while in the AAC, and they were married in 1941. With this union they had a son, Thomas, born in 1942.

After his 20 years of service, he retired while in Spokane, WA at Fairchild AFB. He then went to work for the Civil Service as a GS-11 in production and traveled around to all of the missile sites. In 1961 he was transferred to Great Falls, MT and earned a promotion to a G-12 in charge of quality control. In 1963 they moved to Grand Forks, ND, where they promoted him to a G-13 and later to Division Chief. In 1970 he moved to EAFB where he remained the Division Chief until his retirement. Following his retirement from the Civil Service, Don was a Construction Inspector for the state of South Dakota for five years, inspecting low income and elderly housing.

While Don was in Rapid City, he spent some of his free time at the Esquire Club, where he met his future wife, Mercedes Creeley. In 1953 they were married in Belle Fourche, SD.

In 1947 Don became a Mason and belonged to the Masonic Lodge in Paxton, IL. In 1964, while Don was living in Grand Forks, ND, he became a Shriner, joining Kem Temple, where he was the President of the Drum & Bugle Corp. When they moved to Rapid City in 1970, he joined Naja Shriners, where he held the positions of Naja Shrine Recorder, Chairman of the Building Committee which built the Rapid City Shrine Club and warehouse, Circus Chairman, Treasurer of ROJ for 17 years.  In 1975 he was the President of the Rapid City Shrine Club, in 1985 he was Air Patrol and ROJ, was Treasurer for the Rapid City Shrine Club for 26 years, was made Honorary Potentate in 2002, and since 1992 he has held the position of Treasurer of Naja Shriners. Don said, "I have enjoyed all of the time I have spent working with Naja Shriners and look forward to stepping back and watching from now on."

Survivors include a son, Thomas(Barbara) Livesay, of Denver, close personal friends, Kevin (Kathy) Root, of Rapid City; a step-son, Norris (Esta) Risty, of the Twin Cities, MN and a niece, Dawn Norris, of Sheridan, WY. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Thomas, and his wife Mercedes in 2004.

His funeral service will be at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, August 22, at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home with Chaplain H.B. Cleveland officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service.

Burial, with military honors rendered by the Ellsworth AFB Honor Guard, will be at Black Hills National Cemetery at 1:00 p.m.

A reception will be held at the Naja Shrine Club on Sturgis Road following the burial.

Memorials may be directed to the Naja Shrine Temple Children's Hospital Travel Fund, 4091 Sturgis Rd, Rapid City, SD 57702.