Photo courtesy of John F Givnish Funeral Home - Academy Rd
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Donald E. "River Rider" Messner passed away on August 8, 2017 at the age of 70. Loving father of William Messner and step-father of Vu Nguyen and Son Nguyen; dear brother of Margaret Finchen and Peggy Torpey. Also survived by his 4 grandchildren. Don proudly served his country in the Army during...
Read MoreMy deepest condolences go out to Don's family & friends. Sorry for your loss. May he rest in peace.
Bob & Karen Crawford
August 15, 2017 | PA | Friend
Rest In Peace Brother, you will never be Forgotten.
Pete Flowers
August 15, 2017
Sorry for your loss. I wish I could've been there today for you.
Min Bae
August 13, 2017 | Friend
I had the honor of knowing Don,and no matter what I write here, it won't let you know the true magnitude of who Don was...They say it's not how a person dies, but how they lived.... Well, I think both hold true with Don..
He lived with passion and thoughts of others first. He died pridefully (stubbornly) and again, with thinking of others first. Don was a "tail-gunner" riding with Warriors' Watch Riders. And he would always have our backs.
Don, you will be missed!
To...
Dan "Meatball" Rutz
August 13, 2017 | Bucks County, PA | Friend
I had the honor of taking care of Don many times at the Crescenz VA Medical Center over the past 12 years. Don was more than a patient. He was my friend. I loved to catch up with him whenever he was in the building, even if he was not officially on my caseload at the time. He cared deeply about his brothers- and sisters-in-arms. When he found out I was going on active duty from my reserve unit a few years back, he was insistent on arranging a motorcade for me when I came home! I had to...
Captain (Dr.) Matt Boben, US Army (Ret.)
August 13, 2017 | NJ | Friend
HI DON; THIS IS YOUR BUDDY NORM THAT YOU SAT NEXT TO FOR THE PAST YEAR AT DIALYSIS. I AM GOING TO MISS YOU TERRIBLY. GOD BLESS AND REST IN PEACE.
NORMAN SAVLOFF
August 12, 2017 | PHILADELPHIA, PA | Friend
