Donn C. Jourdan

Donn C. Jourdan, 98, of Windsor Locks and formerly of Windsor, beloved husband for over 67 years of the late Elizabeth "Betty" (Whipple) Jourdan, passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 3, 2025. Donn was born in Hartford, son of the late Irwin and Alsie (Clark) Jourdan, graduated from Loomis Chaffee, and then proudly served his country during World War II in the United States Army. After the war, he received his Bachelor's Degree from Yale University and started a successful career that he dearly loved in sales in the lumber and millwork industry that spanned over 40 years. Donn started working for his father's company, Jourdan Lumber Co. on Pierson Lane in Windsor, and subsequently worked with Springfield Millwork Co., Brockway-Smith Co., Hastings Service, and Hartford Builders Finish. He was a dedicated and faithful member of First Church in Windsor for over 80 years and was inducted into the John Wareham Society after 40 years of dedicated service to his church. His strong work ethic, faith, and drive inspired his children and grandchildren to be the best they can be every day. Donn was a great husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He will fondly be remembered as kind, caring, upbeat, and positive man who loved his family more than anything. He taught his children the value of faith, family, respect, discipline, how to treat others the way you would want to be treated, and to enjoy life. Donn made sure he was a big part of their lives, attended their events, and supported their dreams. He doted on his wife, children, and grandchildren and they always had everything they needed and much of what they wanted. Donn had a wonderful and playful sense of humor and had an amazing talent for telling a joke or a story with his own special spin on it. His kids have great memories of him changing the names of classic stories and reading them with different accents, just to make them laugh. His quick wit and ability to entertain the masses made him the center of attention at any function he attended, and he earned the nickname "Happy Dad!" Donn married the love of his life, Betty, in 1951 and they raised their family in Windsor. In their retirement years, they moved to Black Point in Niantic and spent nine years there before moving to Amela Island, FL, where they spent the next ten years together. Over the years, Donn was a member of the Windsor Club, the Windsor Public Building Commission, the East Lyme Economic Development Commission, East Lyme Charter Revision Committee, where he also served as Chairman, the East Lyme Board of Selectman, and the East Lyme Zoning Commission. After Betty's death in 2019, Donn made the decision to be a part of the Stonebrook Village community in Windsor Locks, where he has resided for the past 6 years. Donn was an active member of the community and his outgoing personality and ability to light up a room just by being in it, made him a beloved friend to the residents and staff there, where they affectionately dubbed him the "Mayor of Stonebrook." He was also known to be a "big ham" and was a member of the Drama Club, and they will always remember him playing the part of Lou Costello and reenacting the famous skit, "Who's on First" during a show. Music was a big part of Donn's life, and he played several instruments over the years. While serving, he played the Bass Fiddle in the Army band and played a mean "Boogie Woogie" on the piano. Later in his life, he picked up the Ukulele and spent countless hours entertaining his family and friends. Family was always the center of his universe and there was never a family gathering he wasn't part of the entertainment, planned or spontaneous. At Stonebrook, he made sure he knew who was celebrating a birthday and played his Ukulele for them. He passed his love of music to his sons, David and Stephen, and they both became very talented guitar players. In his younger years, he loved to travel with the kids, and they still laugh when they remember a seven-week cross-country trip they all took in the 70s, with their station wagon hauling a trailer called the "Jourdan Burden." Donn also enjoyed golfing and he and Betty traveled the world together. He loved watching all types of sports, especially golf, football, and hockey, and played on the Loomis Chaffee Hockey Team back in the day. On June 3, 2025, Donn was featured in an article in the Loomis Chaffee newsletter, and he expressed how grateful he was for the education he received at Loomis and how he would do it all over again. He is quoted as saying, "I'm the luckiest man I know," Donn said. "I'm 98 years old, and I am having and have had a wonderful life. I was married to my wonderful wife for 67 years. No one has been luckier than I have." Donn leaves a legacy of beautiful memories that will live in the hearts of everyone who knew and loved him. Donn leaves to celebrate his life, his children, David Jourdan and his wife Cathy of East Windsor, Stephen Jourdan and his wife Linda of Littleton, CO, Barbara Andrukonis and her husband Stan of Vernon, Richard Jourdan and his wife Natalia of Perry, FL, and Douglas Jourdan and his wife Cheryl of Windsor; his grandchildren, Errin Grossart, Sabrina Peck, Kristen Jourdan, Nicholas Jourdan, Elizabeth Jourdan and her husband Matthew Murphy, Zachary Jourdan, Rebecca Jourdan, Alyssa Kamradt and her husband Michael, and Troy Jourdan; as well as his church family, his Stonebrook family, and many other friends he made over his amazing 98 years of life. His family would like to express their deepest thanks and appreciation to Dr. Shahena Master and her staff for their care and concern for both Donn and Betty over the last 15 years, to the staff at Stonebrook for their care and friendship to Donn, and the nurses and staff at Compassus for their compassionate hospice care to Donn in his final days. His family will receive friends on Wednesday, August 13, 4-6 p.m., at Carmon Funeral Home, 807 Bloomfield Ave., Windsor. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to First Church in Windsor, 107 Palisado Ave., Windsor, CT 06095 or to a charity of the donor's choice.