Don E. Krejcarek

Don E. Krejcarek, 82, of Glennie, MI, passed away Sunday, December 28, 2025, at Besser Senior Living Center in Alpena.

Born January 21, 1943, to Earl and Dorothy (Murphy) Krejcarek in Marinette, Wisconsin, he was raised in Coleman, Wisconsin. While growing up on the family farm, Don also worked on his father’s timber mill where he developed his love of everything timber-related. Don attended Michigan Technological University where he was a standout football player (being drafted for the New York Giants) while also being a member of ROTC. Don married his first wife in 1965, and they had two daughters. After receiving his Bachelor’s degree, he served in the US Air Force as a Captain before continuing his education, earning a Master’s Degree in Forestry from Michigan State University. In 1986, he married Joell Johnson in Carlshend, MI. They were longtime residents of Harrisville before moving to their dream property full time in Glennie, MI, to enjoy the outdoors. Never one to sit around, Don opened his forestry consultant business, Sunrise Forestry Consultants, after retiring from the US Forest Service. Through his business, he provided timber and land management expertise to many. Don was a member of St. Anne Catholic Church in Harrisville, the Promise Keepers, and the Harrisville Lions Club. He was an avid supporter of the Chosen Ranch and the Sprinkler Lake Education Center. Don enjoyed hunting, fishing, working with timber in its many different forms, and tending to a massive garden--massive so that he could give away the majority of the bounty to friends and neighbors.

Don is survived by his two daughters, Swan Krejcarek and Stephanie (Paul) Mancine, two grandchildren, Christina Jarema (Alex Kaplan), and Ryley Mancine, his great grandson, Lucas Kaplan, two sisters, Rose Marie Matestic and Barbara Ann (Donald) Bushell, and his brother-in-law Dan (Kathy) Johnson, and their daughters, Sarah and Heidi. He was preceded in death by his wife, Joell, on September 20, 2019.

Cremation arrangements were made through Gillies Funeral Home in Lincoln. Per Don’s wishes, there are no services planned. Donations in his memory are requested to go to the Chosen Ranch and/or the National Alzheimer’s Association. His family encourages you to go for a walk in the woods or plant a tree in his memory to celebrate his lifelong love of Nature.