Donal Craig Reeves

1928 - 2019

Niantic - Donal Craig Reeves, 91, of Niantic died Nov. 19, 2019, surrounded by his loving family. Donal was born July, 28, 1928, to Lois Marie Blake and Robert Starr Reeves of Larchmont, N.Y.

He grew up sailing on Long Island Sound where he came to treasure the sights, sounds and calming effect of the sea. He lived his life honoring this love by building boats, sailing among New England's many harbors, and sharing maritime adventures with his family. As his sea legs faded with age, he took daily walks on the beach to smell the salt air and see the light reflecting on the water.

Donal attended Cornell University and graduated from Gettysburg College where he met his future wife, Susan Thomas. Donal and Susan were married March 31, 1951, and raised their three daughters, Linda, Donna and Lisa in Westport. Donal designed and built the family home next to a flowing brook, a source of joy for all who lived nearby.

As a young adult, Donal built a small powerboat from a kit in a neighbor's garage, naming it after his wife and newborn daughter, the "Linda Sue". As their family grew, Sue and Donal owned incrementally larger boats until they settled on a 38' wooden powerboat, aptly named the "Susan". Donal doted on this boat for 40 years - filling every spot of aging wood with epoxy; tinkering with the twin Perkins engines and methodically adjusting dock lines to stand firm against any potential Nor'easter. The "Susan" provided years of adventure as the family cruised along the New England Coast, seeking refuge in harbors along the way. Donal loved ice cream in all forms and was known to lead the family up town for ice cream cones after dinner aboard the "Susan". Each summer culminated in a month entrenched in the company of long-time friends on Coastwise Wharf in Martha's Vineyard.

Donal worked for IBM for 37 years, joining the company as the first computers burst onto the world market. He enjoyed touting the data processing power of mainframe technology to eager customers. As the industry evolved, blank computer punch cards landed in the Reeves household where they lived out their lives as scratch paper. Later in his career, Donal was involved with the development of digital voicemail and barcode inventory management systems.

Donal is survived by his wife of 68 years, Susan Thomas Reeves; three daughters, Linda Morrissey (Kevin), Donna Abbott (Ted), Lisa Zenner (John); six grandchildren, Kaylin, Kyle, Lindsay, Greg, Thomas, Elizabeth; and five great-grandchildren, Bryce, Tucker, Caleb, Lily, and Isla.

A special thank you to caregivers Carolyn and Abeola. We are grateful for the love, laughter and companionship you shared. Thank you to Donal's trainer, Axel, who kept him physically and mentally strong to the end.

In lieu of flowers, cherish someone you love by sharing a walk on the beach. Donations in Donal's memory may be directed to: Mystic Seaport Museum, 75 Greenmanville Ave., P.O. Box 6000, Mystic, CT. 06355-0990.