Don Looft, 67Donald Wayne Looft was born on March 9, 1947 in Marseilles, Illinois. He died at the age of 67 at home, surrounded by his family, on September 17, 2014. He was born to Henry C. and Margery Moss Looft, and was the third and last son born to the family. He is survived by his wife, Helen Crudgington Looft; two daughters, Jessica (Shawn) Knopp and their children David (13) and Harper (11), and Sydney (Jesse) Bloom and their children, Matthew (8) and Alex (6); and brother, W Gene Looft. Don was preceded in death by his brother, Roger Allen Looft. Don was raised in on a working farm in Fowler, Indiana. He graduated from Fowler High School in 1965. He then attended
Purdue University and was a member of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity. He obtained a Bachelors of Science in Industrial Engineering in 1970, then a Masters in Industrial Management from Krannert School of Business in 1972. He and his wife, Helen, owned and operated several restaurants and bars including Lafayette icons The Stabilizer, Hearth & Timbers and were the founders of Nick's. After several years working in industry, he returned to school and obtained a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership in 1989. He then served as a professor of Restaurant and Hotel Institutional Management at Purdue University. After which he returned to the hospitability industry to become the General Manager of the Skyline Club in Downtown Indianapolis. In retirement, he continued his love of teaching as adjunct professor of Business for both Ivy Tech and Indiana Technical College.He was an avid golfer who enjoyed the comradery at his second home, Coffin Golf Club in Indianapolis. He was the recipient of several tournament championships including most recently winning the Indiana Super Senior Championship in 2013. A Memorial Service will be held on September 27th at 2 PM with a visitation from 12:30 until the time of the service at ARN Funeral & Cremation Services, 11411 N. Michigan Rd, followed by a Celebration of Life at Coffin Golf Club from 3 - 5 PM. The family is planning a memorial golf scramble to benefit the Pancreatic Cancer Society of America for next spring. Memorial contributions may be made to the Indiana Junior Golf Association.Friends may leave a memory or message of condolence by visiting the online obituary at
www.arnmortuary.com.
Guestbook