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DON SHANK Obituary
Dec. 26, 1940 Dec. 31, 2021
Don Floyd Shank, Imperial Valley businessman & philanthropist, passed away on December 31, 2021 from complications of glioblastoma. He is survived by daughter, Susan (Matthew) Barron; son, Don (Raquel) Shank and their daughters, Chloe and Phoebe; son, Will Shank; and brother, Bob (MarySue) Shank and their children and grandchildren.
Don was born on December 26, 1940 in Brawley, California to Floyd and Artha Shank. The younger of their two sons, he graduated from BUHS and attended Chapman College and San Diego State. At SDSU, he met Sydney Shook and convinced her to trade the beach for the desert. They had 3 children and 48 happy years of marriage until her passing from ALS in 2012.
Don balanced his dedication to family, work (Shank & Kretz, OK Rubber) and philanthropy (Rotary, the Brawley Chamber of Commerce, Pioneers Memorial Hospital Foundation, and the Wildcat Football Chain Gang to name a few). He never precisely retired but enjoyed family vacations, gardening, woodworking and cooking, often experimenting with recipes and inviting friends over to partake. Don found a lot of joy at La Jolla Shores, especially making memories with his beloved granddaughters.
Don will be remembered and celebrated for his service to his community. This has been recognized by his many civic positions and the service awards he has humbly received. His children were happy to share their father and are grateful for this recognition.
Services will be held on March 12, 2022 at 10:30 am at Riverview Cemetery in Brawley. There will be a Celebration of Life afterward at Stockmen's Club in Brawley. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Rotary Foundation or Pioneers Memorial Hospital (PMH) Foundation.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for DON SHANK
2 Entries
Dan Shank
March 13, 2022
Our most sincere condolences go out to the entire Shank family for such a great loss of a truly blessed man. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this most difficult time.
Martha Rael-Loera
March 9, 2022
To the Shank Family,
My thoughts and prayers are with you. I worked with your mom at Ben Hulse Elementary. In her last years, Sydney volunteered in my classroom. I had the pleasure of meeting your dad through your mom. I remember the day he brought boxes and boxes of your mom's art and school supplies to my classroom after she died. Your dad was always smiling and kind. I will fondly remember them both.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Martha Rael-Loera
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