Don Lourie died of pneumonia Oct. 25, 2008.
He was born Jan. 12, 1926, in Evanston, Ill., to Mary K. Lourie and Donold B. Lourie ’22. He prepared for Princeton at New Trier High School and Phillips Exeter Academy. Don served 2 1/2 years in the Army Air Corps before entering Princeton in 1946. He was our reunion chairman in ’48 and class treasurer from 1952 to 1957.
Don received a law degree from the University of Michigan in 1953. He then joined the firm of Debevoise & Plimpton. After a successful career evolving from law to banking to computers, Don happily retired, turning to his lifelong dream of writing fiction. In 1982 he earned an M.F.A. from Columbia and settled in his beloved Siasconset in Nantucket, Mass., to spend the rest of his life writing. He became active in the town’s historic preservation efforts.
In 1988, Don married Selma Rayfiel. Even though he was losing his vision to macular degeneration, he published one memoir and five novels, two of which are comic mysteries set on Nantucket.
He is survived by Selma, five children from his previous marriages, and nine grandchildren. To them all, the class extends heartfelt sympathy.