Donald Roger Lineback

Donald Roger Lineback was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in 1942 to Josie (New) and Hennis Lineback. Just prior to beginning high school, the family moved to Florida where he attended Hardee County High School in Wauchula, Florida. After graduating, he received a football scholarship to attend Pratt Junior College in Kansas. He then joined the Air Force and served in Turkey for two years before being stationed in Maryland.

In 1967 Donald attended a party in Laurel, Maryland where he met Carolyn Neumann. They married in March 1968 and moved to Tampa, Florida. Donald graduated with a bachelors degree from the University of South Florida in 1969. While living in Florida, Donald and Carolyn began their lifelong calling of adopting dogs and cats in need of a home. Having grown up on a farm, Donald loved all animals deeply. Between 1968 and 2026, they shared their home with several dogs, some of whom had more challenges than others -Amy, Wilhelmina, Shannon, Emy, Heidi, Olivia, Talula, and two cats -Claribel and Ice Cream.

Carolyn and Donald eventually returned to New Jersey, where Carolyn had grown up, and they built their home in North Brunswick. Upon their return, he worked for Grandway, S. E. Nichols, where he commuted daily to Manhattan, and then for a suntan lotion company in New Jersey. Their daughter Lauren (named after their meeting place in Laurel, Maryland) was born in 1976.

Once he semi-retired, Donald opened a variety store named "Don's Old-Fashioned Variety Store" in Matawan, New Jersey. His wife once quipped that the only thing old-fashioned about the store was Don himself.

Donald and Carolyn officially retired to Lewes, Delaware in 2004 with their beloved dachshund Olivia. Donald enjoyed taking painting and constitutional law classes at the University of Delaware's Osher Lifelong Learning Center. He created many paintings during those years and also enjoyed reading books from the Lewes library, going to breakfast with his buddy, and continuing his lifelong love of learning about history and watching college football.

Throughout their marriage, Donald and Carolyn loved to travel, and especially adored Hawaii and cruising. On their last trip together, they went to Europe where they literally missed the boat because Donald was unable to get Carolyn out of a shop in time.

Donald became a grandfather for the first time in 2008 and for the second time in 2010. He loved his granddaughters and delighted in everything they were up to from learning to crawl and talk as babies, to their stint with karate when they were young, to their progress in high school and growing into young women. He taught Nara to paint with oils and Sage fondly called him "Donald Ducky" His girls were so patient with his slower pace of walking as he grew older, often saying "Wait for Pop Pop" and waiting patiently next to him. Donald was wearing his "This is What a Cool Grandpa Looks Like" t-shirt when taken to Beebe Medical Center in Lewes, Delaware due to an infection on March 21. He passed relatively peacefully with Carolyn by his side on March 26, 2026.

He is survived by Carolyn, his wife of 58 years, his daughter, Lauren Lineback, his beloved grandchildren, Nara and Sage, and his son-in-law Brian Selander.

No services are currently planned.

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