Donald James Ahrens

December 11, 1921 - January 1, 2009 Resident of Petaluma, California Donald Ahrens was born on December 11, 1921, in Rochester, Michigan, and grew up in Battle Creek, Michigan, with a passion for building and flying airplanes. This led to a degree in Aeronautical Engineering, in 1941, from Tri-State College located in Muncie, Indiana. After a stint in the United States Navy during World War II, he obtained a job as an aeronautical engineer with Cessna Aircraft in Wichita, Kansas. Forty three years later he retired after a successful career designing, building and flying general aviation aircraft. Notably, he was the lead project manager and designer for the Cessna 310 and Skymaster aircraft. He married Thelma Evelyn Cook in 1943 and they had three sons. Thelma passed away in 1998, and Donald settled in Petaluma, California. Donald is survived by three sons; Jon Ahrens, Danville, Calif., Richard Ahrens, Coconut Creek, Fla., and CW5 Scott Ahrens, Petaluma, Calif.; six grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren..