Donald E. Nowland

1943 - 2017

Donald E. Nowland, 73, passed away peacefully at the Kaplan House Hospice in Danvers, MA on May 10, 2017 with his loving wife, Davita by his side. Born in Detroit, Michigan on May 21, 1943, he was the adopted son of Margaret Helen Nowland (home maker) and Raymond Joseph Nowland (US Federal Employee of the US fish hatchery service). He was raised in Charlevoix, Michigan. Don Graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point on June 9, 1965 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering and a 2nd Lieutenants commission in the Artillery. In December 1963, during his third year at West Point, his parents Margaret and Raymond were killed in an automobile accident. After graduating West Point, Don reported to a Nike Hercules (Nuclear) Missile Battery outside of Detroit where he met and married Marilyn Pernar. In March, 1967 Don was deployed to Vietnam as a replacement officer in a Field Artillery Battery in the Central Highlands. Dons proudest accomplishment of his deployment to Vietnam was that all of the soldiers he commanded came home alive. While in Vietnam, his first son, Donald Raymond was born. Upon his return from Vietnam, Don was assigned to the Air Defense Artillery (ADA) Command in Colorado Springs. While stationed in Colorado, his twin sons, Robb Evan and Kevin Eric, were born. In early 1970, the Army sent Don to graduate school at the University of Texas at El Paso to pursue a Master of Science in Physics. After successfully completing his degree in May 1971, he was assigned to Lawrence Livermore Laboratory in Livermore, CA. He became a nuclear effects scientist in a small highly specialized group. While at Livermore, he worked with and met many pioneers of the atomic and nuclear age, including the famous Dr. Edward Teller (father of the hydrogen bomb). While there he also wrote a book on the History of Nuclear Air Defense, published by the Laboratory in 1973. His fourth son, Kerby Martin, was born while at Livermore. Leaving Livermore in 1973, the Army sent Don on a tour as a Chaparral Air Defense Missile Battery Commander in the 2nd Infantry Division in Korea. While in Korea he worked with (then) Lieutenant Colonel Colin Powell who commanded an Infantry Battalion. Don worked with Colonel Powell two more times during his Army career and said he drew much character and inspiration from him. Also, while in Korea, Don and his family decided to adopt a baby girl from a local village. He renamed her Kara Myong (meaning beautiful baby). After Korea, Don went to the US Army Command and General Staff College at Ft Leavenworth, KS for a year of military studies. In June of 1975, he was assigned to an Army staff position in the Pentagon. He was promoted to Major, and within a year was selected to be a Military Assistant to the civilian Secretary of the Army. Between 1976 and 1978, he worked for two Secretaries of the Army, Martin Hoffman and Clifford Alexander. By the winter of 1978 Don was assigned as the S3 Operations Officer of the 10the Air Defense Group in Darmstadt, West Germany. He served in this position until 1981 when he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and took command of the 2nd Battalion, 62nd Air Defense Artillery on Spangdahlem Air Force Base in West Germany. He commanded this Hawk Missile Battalion for three years. During this time, he divorced from Marilyn and in1982 he married Maria Strohl Lipsker in Nykobing, Denmark. Following this battalion command Don was selected for the Army War College (1984-1985). After the War College, he went back to Germany at the US Army Europe Headquarters in Heidelberg. While there, he was selected for Brigade Command in the grade of Colonel. In January 1987 he took command of the 10th ADA Brigade in Darmstadt, West Germany. In January 1989 Don retired from the Army. As with other retiring military officers, he accrued numerous below the zone promotions and awards Upon the conclusion of his Army career, Don reported to Raytheon in 1989 in its Missile Systems Division working on the command and control of air defense systems and supporting various program managers involved with Hawk and Patriot missile systems in the field. He traveled extensively, mostly in Europe and the Middle East. He and his wife Maria settled on a five-acre property in Hollis, NH. In 1992 Don went to Brazil for Raytheon to investigate a potential business opportunity to build a space based observations system and communications and air traffic control within the Amazon Region. Don led a joint US-Brazilian engineering & program management team in developing the SIVAM (System for the Vigilance of the Amazon) concept and system requirements. Thereafter, he continued to work at Raytheon, mostly as a teacher-mentor to Capture Managers throughout the company During this time Don experienced unimaginable loss once again with the tragic death of his twin boys. First, Robb was killed in a motorcycle accident while riding with Kevin. Two years later, Kevin committed sucicide. It was also during this time he divorced Maria and moved to Marblehead. In 1993 he met Davita Berkley. They were married on New Years Eve, 1995. They settled in a condo overlooking Marblehead Harbor. Don was diganosed in January 2007 with Carcinoid Syndrome, a slow-growing cancer in his abdomen. This cancer was not curable, but with treatment its growth was managable for some time. Throughout his battle, Don contunued to help others and maintained a positive state of mind. The way he lived his life has been an inspiration to his family, friends and colleagues and described by his Doctors as both inspirational and remarkable. His surviving children are Donald R. Nowland, Kara M. Lenling and Kerby M. Nowland. Grandchildren are Evan T. Lenling, 17 and Allison, K. Lenling, 13. Don will be cremated and his ashes spread off the coast of Marblehead, followed by a Celebration of Life on Saturday August 19, 2017 at the Boston Yacht Club. All family, friends, West Point Classmates, and people from other points on the compass are welcome to attend. Davita Nowland may be reached at: dbnowland@nauticlesofmarblehead.com or mailing address: 24 Lee St, Unit D-4, Marblehead, MA 01945. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in memory of Don Nowland to support cancer research and patient care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284 or via www.dana- farber.org/gift. For more of Dons story please visit West Points Center for Oral History and use this link: http://www.westpointcoh.org/interviews/make-the-most-of-what-you-have-overcoming-tragedy-and-standing-on-principle or visit https:// bostoncremation.org/obituary/col-donald-nowland-usa-retired.