Donald Noel

Donald Noel, 90, Lake Havasu Pioneer Who Helped Build a City, Dies
Donald "Don" Noel, one of Lake Havasu City's original pioneers whose life helped shape the desert community from its earliest days, died November 8, 2025. He was 90.
Born in 1935 in Sturgis, Michigan, Don grew up during the Great Depression, learning early the value of hard work and self-reliance. After graduating high school, he volunteered for the U.S. Army during the Korean War, serving three years-two of them in Germany as a radio operator. After returning home, he began working for the U.S. Postal Service before shifting into construction. He often said those cold Midwestern winters taught him two things: how to endure, and how to dream of somewhere warm.
In 1965, he and his first wife, Janet, took a casual trip to Arizona that would change everything. Two years later, lured by visionary developer Robert McCulloch and the promise of sunshine and opportunity, the Noels packed up their young family and headed west to help build a city that barely existed.
They arrived in 1967, when Lake Havasu City had only a few scattered buildings, one school, and a handful of paved roads. They quickly made it home. "It felt like a big adventure," Don later recalled. He worked in construction for more than a decade, helping to build homes and landmarks including the London Bridge Resort, then returned to the U.S. Postal Service, where he became a familiar face delivering mail to a growing town.
Don served 15 years in the Naval Reserve, reaching the rank of chief petty officer, and took pride in being part of the generation that built Lake Havasu's foundations-literally and figuratively. He never lost his admiration for McCulloch's ingenuity or his affection for the community that rose out of the desert. Both of his children, Cary and Sonya, went through the early days of Havasu's elementary school system and are graduates of Lake Havasu High School-a testament to how deeply the Noel family became part of the city they helped build.
In the late 1990s, Don met Marianne Dalton, herself a widow, and the two married soon after. Over the next 25 years, Don and Marianne hooked up their RV and traveled the country extensively-journeys that took them from the Northeast, where Don famously crossed the George Washington Bridge with curious locals watching, down to the Florida Keys, rushing across the South just ahead of Hurricane Katrina. They spent summers in Michigan, ventured up the California coast through the Pacific Northwest, and even crossed into British Columbia and Alaska.
Don loved showing off his woodshop skills, crafting everything from vases and games to rocking horses. Marianne made sure his handiwork reached everyone who knew him-each piece a personal, homemade gift from the heart. Together they shared countless adventures, friendships, and memories that defined their later years.
Don enjoyed his time in the Lake Havasu Pioneers Club and remained a loyal friend to the many who arrived in Havasu during the 1960s and '70s. In March 2025, Mayor Cal Sheehy proclaimed "Don Noel Day" in honor of his 90th birthday and his contributions to the city's early development. Surrounded by family and friends, Don reflected on his long journey from Michigan's freezing winters to Arizona's bright sun. "The city grew up around us," he said. "And we grew with it."
Don is survived by his wife, Marianne; his children, Cary (Teena) and Sonya; his grandchildren, Grace, Jacob, and Nate; and a community forever shaped by his pioneering spirit.
A celebration of life will be held next spring in Lake Havasu City.