Donald Francis Peltier

1920 - 2015

PELTIER, DONALD FRANCIS; age 94; of Mt. Pleasant; passed away Wednesday, July 1, 2015; at the Laurels of Mt. Pleasant. A Funeral Mass for Donald will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 4, 2015, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Fr. Thomas Held officiating. Interment will follow in Calvary Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. on Friday, July 3, 2015 at Clark Family Funeral Chapel. There will be a Rosary at 7 p.m. on Friday at the funeral chapel. Visitation will continue the next day from 10 a.m. until the time of the Funeral Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Memorial contributions may be made to Sacred Heart Academy Foundation. Envelopes will be available at the funeral chapel and the church. Donald was born on August 14, 1920, in Escanaba, Michigan, the son of Eugene and Alberta (Chenier) Peltier. He graduated from Escanaba High School and began his aviation career while attending high school. After graduation, Donald was drafted and sent by the Army Air Corps to Mt. Pleasant as a flight instructor. He married Rita Bleise on July 4, 1944, at St. Philomena Catholic Church in Beal City. Donald and Rita were members of Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Donald worked for 35 years as head of maintenance at the Mt. Pleasant State Home. He had a lifelong love of aviation and received the Prestigious Award and the Wilbur Wright Award. He was a charter member of the Experimental Aircraft Association and was active at the Mt. Pleasant Municipal Airport as a licensor, inspector, mechanic and instructor. Donald was a member of the Beal City Old Car Club. Donald is survived by his 4 children, Mary Paisley of Mt. Pleasant, Beverly (Joseph) Murray of East Lansing, Donna Judd of Laingsburg, and Denise (Ronald) Pohl of Beal City; 12 grandchildren, Kelly (Ken) Witgen of Westphalia, Jamie (Rob) Rowley of Mt. Pleasant, Jana (Jeff) Grover of White Lake, Gretchen Crynick of Redford, Mike (Jessica) Judd of Los Angeles, Jim (Dena) Judd of Laingsburg, Stephanie (Rick) Morrow of Alma, and Ryan Pohl of Beal City; many great-grandchildren; brother George (Doris) Peltier of Menominee, WI; sisters-in-law Marilyn (Jack) Theisen of Beal City and Carol Bleise of Weidman; special friends, Brian Carson, Steve Martin, Barry Camp, and Al Root. Donald was preceded in death by his wife Rita Peltier on November 7, 2001; his parents; brother Lionel; sister Lenora; 2 sons-in-laws, Bill Paisley and Terry Judd; and many brothers and sisters-in-law. The family are very thankful for the extraordinary and loving care for five years by Tony and the staff at New Hope and then the Laurels and for the assistance by Clark Family Funeral Chapel.