Obituary for Don A. Wilson
Don was born in Waxahachie, at the W.C. Tenery Sanitarium, on February 9, 1941 to Robert O. Wilson, Jr. and Elsie Aday Wilson. He graduated from Waxahachie High School in 1959. After attending Navarro College, Don obtained his Bachelor of Business Administration in International Trade from Texas Technical College (now Texas Tech University) in 1964.
After college, Don went to work as a milk truck driver for Foremost Dairy, then Southland Corporation, where he quickly rose through the ranks to manage the company’s nationwide dairy and ice plants. He was passionate about his participation in the Private Truck Council of America, a professional organization which, at one point, he led as President. In that capacity he represented the interests of the Milk Industry Foundation and the International Association of Ice Cream Manufacturers before committees of Congress as well as advisory panels of the Department of Energy and the Department of Transportation. One of the high points of Don’s career was being invited to Washington, D.C. to witness President Reagan sign into law a bill that benefited the trucking industry.
Don continued his career in management, transportation, and logistics with Citgo Petroleum after its purchase by the Southland Corporation. There he became the fleet and distribution manager for the Citgo downstream wholesale marketing division.
After Don left Citgo, he briefly worked for Morningstar Dairy before striking out on his own. For several years he provided industry consulting services, and he produced the international Dairy Distribution Conference. During that phase of his career he was most excited about his participation in the United States Department of Agriculture Emerging Democracies program. Through that program he assisted fledgling industries in former Soviet republics. He made many new friends in his travels to Bulgaria, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. The family will always remember the unique souvenirs he brought home from those travels.
Don also loved being involved with the Waxahachie community. He was a longtime member of the Waxahachie Rotary Club. For more than twenty years, he was a tireless workhorse for the group’s annual Cow Creek Classic bike rally, which attracted hundreds of bicyclists to Waxahachie. He took great pride in coordinating, mapping, and marking the routes for the event.
Another community passion for Don was the Dinah Weable Breast Cancer Survivor’s luncheon. He loved the smiles that the event brought to the love of his life, Diann, who is a three-time cancer survivor.
Don was also tremendously proud of his longtime service to the Republican Party in Ellis County, which started in the 1960s.
In his spare time, Don loved gardening, Texas Tech football and basketball, and dove hunting with his sons.
Don is survived by his wife, Diann, two sons, Rob and Patrick, a sister, Deana Evans, daughters in-law Kristen and Becky. He is also survived by four well-loved grandchildren, Peri, Rees, Oliver and Henry
The family is asking that, in lieu of flowers, contributions be made in Don’s name to the Dinah Weable Breast Cancer Survivor’s Foundation, P.O. Box U, Waxahachie, TX 75165.
After college, Don went to work as a milk truck driver for Foremost Dairy, then Southland Corporation, where he quickly rose through the ranks to manage the company’s nationwide dairy and ice plants. He was passionate about his participation in the Private Truck Council of America, a professional organization which, at one point, he led as President. In that capacity he represented the interests of the Milk Industry Foundation and the International Association of Ice Cream Manufacturers before committees of Congress as well as advisory panels of the Department of Energy and the Department of Transportation. One of the high points of Don’s career was being invited to Washington, D.C. to witness President Reagan sign into law a bill that benefited the trucking industry.
Don continued his career in management, transportation, and logistics with Citgo Petroleum after its purchase by the Southland Corporation. There he became the fleet and distribution manager for the Citgo downstream wholesale marketing division.
After Don left Citgo, he briefly worked for Morningstar Dairy before striking out on his own. For several years he provided industry consulting services, and he produced the international Dairy Distribution Conference. During that phase of his career he was most excited about his participation in the United States Department of Agriculture Emerging Democracies program. Through that program he assisted fledgling industries in former Soviet republics. He made many new friends in his travels to Bulgaria, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. The family will always remember the unique souvenirs he brought home from those travels.
Don also loved being involved with the Waxahachie community. He was a longtime member of the Waxahachie Rotary Club. For more than twenty years, he was a tireless workhorse for the group’s annual Cow Creek Classic bike rally, which attracted hundreds of bicyclists to Waxahachie. He took great pride in coordinating, mapping, and marking the routes for the event.
Another community passion for Don was the Dinah Weable Breast Cancer Survivor’s luncheon. He loved the smiles that the event brought to the love of his life, Diann, who is a three-time cancer survivor.
Don was also tremendously proud of his longtime service to the Republican Party in Ellis County, which started in the 1960s.
In his spare time, Don loved gardening, Texas Tech football and basketball, and dove hunting with his sons.
Don is survived by his wife, Diann, two sons, Rob and Patrick, a sister, Deana Evans, daughters in-law Kristen and Becky. He is also survived by four well-loved grandchildren, Peri, Rees, Oliver and Henry
The family is asking that, in lieu of flowers, contributions be made in Don’s name to the Dinah Weable Breast Cancer Survivor’s Foundation, P.O. Box U, Waxahachie, TX 75165.