Don “Sonny” Carpenter, recently of Eaton, Ohio, passed away on November 22 at the age of 87. He was born January 26, 1936 in Springfield, IL, to parents Don and Mable (Strouse) Carpenter. He had polio at the age of 9 which left him with a weaker left leg. However for most of his life, no one was aware of his past polio.
Don graduated from Lemon-Monroe High School and the University of Cincinnati with a degree in Civil Engineering. While at the university, he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. He was also a co-op student, working at Armco Steel in Middletown, Ohio.
Don was a retired Professional Engineer and made a career with the Ohio Department of Transportation in construction. As a young engineer, he was honored by being selected as Project Engineer for the highest bridge in Ohio, located on I-71 in Warren County. He finalized his career as Construction Bureau Field Engineer for 16 counties.
Don was entrepreneurial as well. For a period of 50 years, he developed apartments, single family homes and condos as rental properties which he owned and managed. He was also one of the founding members of The Real Estate Investors Association of Cincinnati Ohio.
One of his hobbies was sailing, and he was a member of the Cowan Lake Ohio Sailing Association, where he was fleet captain and champion. He also sailed boats on the lakes of Ontario, Canada, where the family enjoyed many vacations.
Don and his 30 year long companion, Ann Parker, retired to Florida and enjoyed the weather and nature, first living in Naples, FL, and then moving in 2006 to The Villages, FL. Don enjoyed playing cards, reading, and following college sports. He and Ann moved to a nursing facility in Eaton, Ohio in 2021 due to failing health. Ann passed away in 2022.
Don was pre-deceased by an infant sister in 1934, his brother Bob in 1990, his brother Ken in 2019, and his brother Conrad in February of 2023. Don was most proud of his children and grandchildren. He is survived by his daughter HarDarshan Khalsa of Chapel Hill, NC, his son Randall Carpenter of Orlando, FL, two grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
Don’s cremains will be interred in the family plot in Bloomville, Ohio as well as with Ann Parker at Lebanon Cemetery. A celebration of life will happen at a later date at the convenience of the family. Memorial donations may be made to Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton, 324 Wilmington Avenue, Dayton, Ohio 45420.
