Donald Maynard

Donald J. Maynard

October 26, 1934 - April 4, 2025

After a life well lived, Donald J. Maynard passed away peacefully on April 4, 2025, at the age of 90.

Born on October 26,1934 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, to C. Dona Maynard and Margaret (Dooley) Maynard, Don always had an adventurous spirit and thirst for knowledge, striving to be the best he could be at whatever he set his mind to. He captivated every room he walked into with his incredible storytelling ability and his rolodex of jokes. He had a joke for every occasion and could tell it to perfection, always delivering the punchline with exact precision. You always knew when he rubbed his hands together and got that twinkle in his eye you could expect a joke to follow. He was a voracious reader with a broad knowledge base on a variety of subjects, but never stopped being curious in his pursuit of new experiences. He kept his trusty Webster dictionary close by on the off chance he didn't know a word, which didn't happen often. He was an avid New York Times crossword puzzle enthusiast who never encountered a puzzle he couldn't complete. His memory and recall were ever-present until his 90th birthday, when he held court with his beloved family, recounting story after story of his incredible life. He was a true Renaissance man.

Don graduated from East Providence High School in 1952 as a letterman in two sports; he headed off to the University of Vermont on a football scholarship, playing quarterback and shortstop on their baseball team. His love of baseball began when he was a batboy for his father, who played baseball in the pro leagues, was a freshman coach for Brown University, and a varsity coach at Providence College. After two years at UVM, he decided to leave school and became an officer in the Navy, where he went to flight school, becoming a Navy pilot stationed in the Mediterranean Sea on the USS Intrepid, one of the most prestigious aircraft carriers in Europe. There began his lifelong love of flying and travel. Upon leaving the Navy, he continued his education at the University of Rhode Island, from which he graduated.

After meeting his first wife Cathy on a blind date while in the Navy Reserve, Don moved his growing family to Madison, Connecticut, in 1965, working for Southern New England Telephone Company as one of their youngest executives. However, the lure of working for an international airline as a 747 pilot, then captain, for Pan American Airways changed the course of his career, and allowed him to travel the world, living a life filled with extraordinary adventures. It also cultivated his love for the game of tennis. Pan Am held a yearly tennis tournament and, having never played the game, decided he would take up tennis and win that trophy. He cleared the backyard, put in a tennis court, bought a ball machine, practiced his strokes in front of a mirror, and went on to win that tournament several times. Passing his love of tennis to his children and grandchildren. This is yet another example of achieving what he put his mind to. He ended his 28-year career as a captain with Delta Airlines. He was loving and loved and forever will be in our hearts.

Don is survived by his loving wife, Judy Huisinga Maynard. He was predeceased by his beloved first wife, Catherine Sullivan Maynard, mother to his five children, Michele and (Jim) Freund, Lisa and (Michael) Carr, Donald Maynard, Meg and (Scott) MacGregor, and Deidre and (Anthony) Luongo.

Papa will be missed by his eight grandchildren and great-grandchild, Ryan, Catie, Jessica (Maynard and Jack), Justin, Nicole, Halle, Matthew and Danielle. Also survived by ex-wife Jo-Ann Horn Maynard, as well as his brother James Maynard and sister Denise Alfario. He was predeceased by sister Maureen Harrington and brothers Gerald Maynard and Howard Maynard.

A private celebration of life will be held at a later date. In lieu of a service, donations may be made to E.C. Scranton Memorial Library https://search.app/wkuSWUWpPWx1rQii8 in memory of Donald J. Maynard.