Donald T. Spangenberg Jr. ’61

Don died Feb. 17, 2015, from complications after hip surgery. He is remembered for being passionate about giving his best in any situation.

Don, a Colorado native, graduated second-highest in a class of 1,100 at East High School in Denver, where he received an ROTC scholarship to Princeton. In college, Don was a member of Cap and Gown, battalion commander in the NROTC, and vice president of the Orange Key. He served as vice chairman of the undergraduate schools committee and was a member of the Rocky Mountain Empire Club, graduating cum laude in chemical engineering.

Don entered the Navy as an officer in the Naval Nuclear Power Program and spent four years managing the nuclear power plant on the USS Enterprise. He was a master at arbitration and finding common ground in the most contentious of environments. Don found that this served him well in his career in the energy field, which often required him to testify as an expert witness under intense scrutiny from utility companies and their attorneys.

He was a devoted and fully engaged father, grandfather, and husband. Don is survived by his wife, Kathy; their children, Heather, Trey, Doug, Chad, and Brian; and eight grandchildren.