Donald Hewitt, 89

Published 12:00 am Friday, July 16, 2010

Donald M. Hewitt, 89, who lived in Grand Marais, died there on July 11 of 2010. He was born in Albert Lea on March 22, 1921. His parents were Arthur and Hazel Hewitt. He married Shirley Prihoda, also of Albert Lea, on Aug. 14, 1943, in New London, Conn. They had four children: Candace (Mark) Leonard of Los Altos, Calif., Kathryn Hewitt of San Fernando, Calif., Patricia Hewitt of Ramsey and Dr. Michael Hewitt of Tucson, Ariz. Don graduated from Albert Lea High School in 1938 and briefly attended Albert Lea Junior College. He was preceded in death by his two sisters: Dorothy (Dr. Leo) Prins and Carol (Cookie) Bohonek. He is survived by his wife, Shirley, and brother, Dr. Richard Hewitt of Red Wing.
He joined the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1938. As one of six Minnesota CCC enrollees he was selected for the U.S. Maritime Service Merchant Marine training program aboard the USS American Seaman based in St. Petersburg, Fla. After his seaboard training he transferred to the USMS Training Center on Gallup’s Island in Boston Harbor where he taught Life Boat Handling and Marlin Spike Seamanship. From Boston he went to the Great Lakes where he served as an Able Bodied Seaman aboard the ore freighter SS William A. Irvin that is now a maritime museum in Duluth. After Pearl Harbor he went to New Orleans where he served as a Quartermaster aboard the U.S. Army Transport, USAT Yarmouth. After 2 troop-laden voyages he was selected to attend the U.S. Maritime Service Officers School in New London, Conn. After graduation, with honors as an Ensign he was selected to serve there as an instructor of Celestial Navigation.
After the end of WWII he and his wife, Shirley, returned to Albert Lea with their daughter, Candace. As with many returning veterans he worked in a number of jobs including Queen Stove Works and Wilson and Co. prior to finding his niche. He moved to St. Paul where he worked as an IBM salesman and finally to the 3M Company where he worked for 30 years. He retired in 1981 as a Marketing Communications Manager for the International Division.
After retirement he and Shirley purchased a motor home in which they spent their winters in the southwest. After about 8 years of travel they sold the motor home and purchased a winter home in McAllen, Texas. They alternated between it and their summer home in Grand Marais for 15 years.
In addition to their four children they have seven grand children and five great grand children. At their 66th wedding anniversary their four children honored them by endowing 4 four year scholarships at Macalester College. Don’s hobbies consisted of gardening, hunting, fishing, foreign travel and Hewitt geology.
There will be no funeral. His immediate family will have a memorial service July 22, 2010, at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery. No flowers please. Your charity to Grand Marais Library.