Donald Wayne Mize, 93, Columbus

Donald Wayne Mize passed away on October 30th at Our Hospice of South Central Indiana after a short illness.  

He was born Monday, March 10, 1930, to George Lee Mize and Bernice Irene Tuell Mize in Seymour, Indiana.  

He attended school in Hope, Indiana, and graduated high school in Sikeston, Missouri.  His dad owned a music store in both Sikeston and Hope.  Don played the trombone in his dad’s bands and in his high school band.  He loved listening to marching band music and popular music of famous trombone players.  After graduation he enlisted in the Navy and eventually was stationed at Great Lakes Naval Base where he met Marilyn Robertson, a young cheerleader from Flat Rock, Indiana.  Marilyn was with a friend who went to date Don, but he chose to spend the time with Marilyn.  They were married March 18, 1951.  Their daughter was born on the base and their son 18 months later in Columbus where Don started work in the office at Arvins.  He left Arvins and went to Cummins Engine Company in Data Processing where his knowledge of computers grew larger as computers became smaller and smaller.  He retired from Cummins but was hired back on contract because of his knowledge of their systems.

His love of water, especially the Ohio River, began in 1956 with the purchase of his first boat. Many more boats followed… runabouts, small cruisers, houseboats, and his last one a 40-foot Carver cruiser.  His boating highlights include being a judge boat for the Madison Regatta and living his dream of traveling across the Gulf of Mexico to the Tombigbee River and on to Jeffersonville, Indiana, where he docked at Admiral’s Anchor Marina. 

He is survived by his wife of 72 years, his children Brenda (Dave) Christophel and Gary (Trudy) Mize.  He was Pappy to his grandchildren Corie (Nick) Williams and Kyle (Sarah) Christophel, his four great-granddaughters Angel (Albert) Hobson, Kierra Christophel, Delaney and Madeline Williams, and his two great-great-granddaughters, Hadley and Evie Hobson.  Spending time with his family (and eating ice cream with his grands) brought him true joy.

Visitation is planned at Norman Funeral Home in Hope, Indiana, on Thursday, November 2nd from 4 - 7p.m.  Please consider donating to Our Hospice of South Central Indiana as they were angels on Earth during his final days.