Donald Charles Torgerson
November 8, 1930 - December 11, 2022
Funeral Service
- Date: August 18, 2023
- Time: 2:00 p.m.
- Location: South Shell Rock Cemetery
Donald Charles Torgerson died peacefully surrounded by family December 11TH 2022 at the home of his daughter Tamara and son in law Rod Coyne in Oak Harbor Washington where he had resided since 2016. He was 92. A graveside memorial service officiated by Pastor Becky Sogge and inurnment by Schroeder Funeral Homes will be held Friday August 18th 2PM at South Shell Rock Cemetery Northwood Iowa. Don was born November 8TH 1930 to Alfred Victor and Viola Edith (Helgeland) Torgerson in Albert Lea Minnesota. He was baptized by his grandfather A.J. Torgerson. He attended country schools Brookfield #1 and Brookfield #3. At some point his family moved into town and he went to Northwood Elementary School. He graduated from Northwood High School in 1948 . He briefly attended Bethany College, Iowa State Teachers College and Mason City Community College where he also played football in 1950. Don was a varsity letterman in football in high school and junior college. On March 4th 1951 Donald and Donna Ranae Field were united in marriage at The Little Brown Church In The Vale. Don and Donna were married for 21 years. First born son Tracy arrived in September. At the beginning of 1952, they packed up their 1947 Buick Convertible and moved to Southern California. Their second son Trent was born in 1953 and daughter Tamara was born in 1954. While working for Norris Thermador in Los Angeles, Don was encouraged by his employer to go back to school. He did and Don received a BA in business from Los Angeles State College in 1956. He was hired by Johns Manville Corporation and was one of only 16 recent graduates from around the United States to be selected for future management positions with the company. He was sent to New Jersey for their industrial engineering training program. After training, the family moved from San Gabriel Calif. to Stockton Calif. where Don worked for Johns Manville until 1959. He then accepted a position as an industrial engineer with Aluminum Corporation of America (ALCOA) at the LA branch and the family moved to Montery Park. In 1963, Don went to work for Autonetics a division of North American . The family moved one last time to Placentia where Don and Donna purchased their first home. Don retired from Rockwell International as an industrial engineer in the aerospace industry in December 1990. He would grin when he pointed out he’d collected retirement for more years than he worked for the company. Don’s interests were many. He never stopped listening to music which consisted of Big Band/Swing, early jazz, Dixieland, and old country western. He enjoyed backpacking, making it to the top of Mt. Whitney more than once. He had many adventures flying his Grumman American airplane, skippering his 1940 30’ Chris Craft around Newport Beach and driving the many different corvettes and Chevy Classics he owned throughout his life. He was an avid football and NASCAR fan and a World War ll history buff. Some of his restoration projects included a 1931 Chevrolet Sport Coupe, a 1950 half ton Chevy pickup, a 1937 John Deere A tractor and a 1935 Farmall F20 tractor. He was a volunteer life member of the Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum Vista Calif. which included operating a tractor at the Carlsbad Flower Fields and he was also a member of the Vintage Chevrolet Club of America from 1969 until he died. Don will be remembered as a very responsible, thoughtful, generous, quiet man who never complained, had a remarkable memory and a great sense of humor. He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters Barbara and Margaret, son Trent and granddaughter Thea (Torgerson) Terhune. Survivors include son Tracy, daughter Tamara, grandsons Jens, Jess and Josh (Fowler), great grandsons Trent, Jess Dean, Kye and great granddaughters Lucy and Olivia.
