Donald Victor Stenger
U.S. Navy 1943-1946Donald V. Stenger of Carmel, Indiana passed away peacefully on September 18, 2016 surrounded by family and friends. He was 91.Don is survived by children Deb Okotie of Carmel, IN, David Stenger of Chicago, IL, and Dan Stenger of McLean, VA, and stepdaughters Tammy Reedy of Westfield, IN and Donna Ingalsbe of Crawfordsville, IN. He was preceded in death by his wife of 25 years Dorothy M. Hambright Stenger in 1972. He was previously married to his second wife Pam Stenger of Crawfordsville, IN. A sister Betty Armstrong of Crawfordsville, IN survives. He was also preceded in death by sister Margaret Armstrong and brothers Joseph and Robert Stenger. Don had six grandchildren and 11 great- grandchildren. Don was born on December 22, 1924 in Villa Grove, IL, the son of Frank and Edna Stenger. He grew up on a farm near Tuscola, IL and attended Tuscola High School (class of 1942).After graduation he joined the U.S. Navy and became a gunner's mate on the heavy cruiser USS Salt Lake City during
World War II, serving from 1943 to 1946. Service in the Pacific theatre saw him in action on Tarawa, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, the Philippines and the Aleutian Islands.After his military discharge, he received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the
University of Illinois (class of 1952). Don and his wife Dorothy were married in 1947.In 1955 Don joined R.R. Donnelley & Sons in Crawfordsville, IN where he became Supervisor of Equipment Engineering and rose to management positions throughout a career of over 30 years with the world's leading printing company. He and Dorothy built two houses in Crawfordsville, one in the Ben Hur addition and one in Sycamore Hills. They were active members of St. Bernard's Catholic Church. Don married his second wife Pam in 1975.Following his retirement from R.R. Donnelley, Don began a second career in retail, working at Target stores and Macy's in Indianapolis. He continued working past 85.He once described his favorite activities as "flower gardening, spectator sports, television and golf." He was an avid runner, completing marathons well into his 50s, published poetry, and enjoyed crossword puzzles. He also enjoyed music, cabaret theater, and spending time with friends. He will be remembered as a great father and family man, a proud World War II veteran, and an accomplished engineer.Funeral services will be held at Flanner and Buchanan - Carmel, 325 E. Carmel Drive, Carmel, IN, on Saturday, September 24, 2016, with a visitation beginning at 10:00 a.m. and the prayer service at 11:00 a.m. A reception will follow the service. Interment will follow at Calvary Cemetery in Crawfordsville. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Wounded Warrior Project.
Guestbook