DONALD HOWARD YARBOROUGH

DONALD HOWARD YARBOROUGH, died peacefully at his home in the presence of his family on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009, at the age of 83 after a long and valiant battle with Parkinson's disease. Don was born in New Orleans on Dec. 15, 1925. He is survived by his beloved wife of 25 years, Charity O'Connell Yarborough; his children: Mollie O'Connell Yarborough, attending the University of Houston, Donald Patrick Arthur "Patrick" Yarborough, attending the University of Houston Law Center; Danny Yarborough of Los Angeles; Sophie and husband, Daniel de Vise; Leverett Yarborough; Francey Yarborough; Inez and husband, Michael Vanderburg; and his four grandchildren: Madeleine de Vise, Grace Vanderburg, Rose Vanderburg and Donovan de Vise.He moved to Houston when he was 12 and graduated from San Jacinto High School. At 19, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps as one of the youngest Company Commanders in the Marines. Don later earned his law degree from the University of Texas, where he was a member of the Kappa Alpha fraternity and was a Texas Cowboy.He re-entered the Marine Corps to serve during the Korean War as a member of the Judge Advocate General's Corps. Later Don became president of the Houston Junior Chamber of Commerce. Don is a member of St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, and he has been involved with the boards of Big Brothers, United Fund, Holly Hall Home for the Aged and Houston Area Parkinson's Society. He was also active with the Houston Symphony Society and was a member of the University of Texas President's Council.In 1963, he was named as one of 100 young Americans who were distinguished by their "dedication to something larger than private success," who had "the courage to act against old problems, the boldness to try out new ideas, and a hard-bitten, undaunted hopefulness about man.`'Don ran for the offices of Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1960 and for governor of Texas in 1962, 1964 and 1968. He was the first major southern politician to come out in support of President Kennedy's Public Accomodations Act, and Eleanor Roosevelt praised him for his courage and commitment to civil rights.Don devoted much of his life to his passion for scientific research. His wife, Charity, said, "you could say he was passionate about stopping suffering at any level".Services will be held on Friday, September 25th at 2:00 P.M. at St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, 2450 River Oaks Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77019, with a reception following.