Donald "Don" Applegate

1954 - 2021

Donald (Don) Applegate

Phoenix - Donald (Don) Applegate born November 3, 1954 in Neptune, N.J. He passed on March 4, 2021 at the age of 66 due to complications related to Covid-19.

While Don passed too soon, his life will always be remembered by family, friends for his honesty, integrity, intelligence, positivity and sense of humor. Don spent over 38 years as a federal public servant. Starting his federal career as a wilderness ranger in the Eagle Cap Wilderness in Oregon, he quickly found his niche as an outdoor recreation planner for the Bureau of Land Management. His first recreation planner position was in Barstow California where he shared his knowledge, expertise and love of the land with diverse visitors enjoying all types of recreation from off-highway vehicle use to non-motorized wilderness exploration. Don worked the remainder of his career with the Bureau of Land Management in Arizona in Yuma and Lake Havasu City in the 1980 and 1990s. He met the love of his life, Linda Wilson, in 1993 during a work trip to Albuquerque, NM. Linda joined Don in Yuma in 1994 and they both spent the past 28 years enjoying public lands, camping and traveling the country in their spare time.

In 2000, Don became the Bureau's state recreation program lead for Arizona, serving in the Arizona State office until he retired at the end of 2016. Along the way, Don provided direction and made key contributions to the development and management of concessions along the Colorado River, the unique Long-Term Visitor Areas in western Arizona. Don also led efforts to designate the Parker Dam Road Backcountry Byway and the Betty's Kitchen National Recreation Trail. When the BLM took on the 120 plus Boat in Campsites on the Colorado River, Don led the effort to establish and stand-up BLM program, which included teaching boater safety training, and upgrading the campsites to improve visitor experiences. He also helped oversee the Parker 400 races. In his Arizona state lead position, Don also served in national roles on the BLM's Recreation and Visitors Services Advisory Team, and as its chairperson. His work was key to ensuring the Recreation Management Information System met the needs of the field and the National Office. His field and state office expertise were instrumental in creating online recreation reservation systems, especially for Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness and Coyote Buttes/Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliff Wilderness, which eventually led to transition to the national, interagency Recreation.gov.

Don's impact creating recreation opportunities will continue to live on as current and future generations will enjoy the public lands he worked so hard to maintain and preserve. When asked to describe Don, peers, supervisors and friends use three words: dedicated, professional and trustworthy.

Don retired in December 2016. He enjoyed living life to the fullest. Traveling across country by train with Linda to explore the United States while visiting family and friends. He found peace and beauty growing native flowers and plants around their home. Don's diverse interests kept his intellect sharp. He loved learning about wartime history, especially WWI. He was an avid Formula One race car fan, traveling to Austin, Texas for the 2012 Inaugural race with Linda. At home, he kept his skills sharp as an expert gamer. He enjoyed his breakfast crew of retirees and joining friends at Spring Training baseball and the D-backs. Up until he passed, he was in good spirits. He kept family and friends close by texting and sharing his sense of humor. Don was a peaceful warrior who will be missed by all his life touched.

Preceding Don in death by his Father, Harold Applegate.

Don is survived by his wife, Linda Wilson Applegate. His Mother, Jean Applegate; his Sister, Donna Glatt, her husband, Joe and their children Jamie and Joey: Sister-in-Law Denise Wilson Moon and her husband, Skip and their daughters Amy and Julie; and Brother-in-Law Michael Wilson.

In remembrance of Don, please consider supporting The Nature Conservancy via a memorial donation in Don's name by calling 1-800-628-6860 option 1 9AM-7PM EDT.

A Celebration of Don's Life will be announced at a later date. Expressions of sympathy may be left on The National Cremation Society website at: www.NationalCremation.com.