Donald M. Ditmars Jr. ’56

Don died June 12, 2024, at his home in Grosse Pointe, Mich.
Following his father, Donald Sr. ’30 *31, Don came to Princeton from Hopewell Township Central High in Pennington, N.J. He was active in representing Elm Club in football and basketball and majored in chemistry. While attending Cornell University Medical School, he met his wife, Anne Marr, to whom he remained married until her death in 2010.
Following service in the Army in Fort Knox, Ky., from 1965 to 1967, Don became a plastic surgeon at Henry Ford Hospital in Grosse Pointe, where he was division chief for 35 years and continued to teach there and at Wayne State University in Detroit after he retired. His mastery of technique and innovation has left a long legacy.
Don was an active member of Grosse Pointe Memorial Presbyterian Church, serving as a deacon and trustee. He was equally active outdoors, hiking, hunting, and fly-fishing for steelhead with his family.
Don is survived by his children, Donald III and his wife Laurie, Kristin and her husband Rick Overbey, and Kathryn ’87 and her husband; eight grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Paw in print

July 2025
On the cover: Wilton Virgo ’00 and his classmates celebrate during the P-rade.
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