After graduating from Ovid Central School in 1946 he served in the Army's 25th Infantry Division Band in Japan until early 1948 when he was honorably discharged. Don married Elsie Green on April 24, 1948. He attended Sampson College and enrolled in Ithaca College where he graduated in 1953 with a B.S. in Commercial Sciences. He began his career in education at Hammond Central School District as a high school business teacher. To further his goals in education he attended St. Lawrence University while in Hammond. Don and Elsie and their two daughters moved to Red Creek in 1955 where he taught business and eventually becoming the Elementary Principal and High School Principal later on. While in Red Creek he attended Syracuse University and Oswego State. In 1964 he and his family moved to Dansville, NY to become the high school principal for the next twenty years until he retired in 1984. While here he attended Brockport State. Going to college as he did while working in the schools earned him his permanent certification for Elementary Principal, Secondary Principal extended to Supervisor at the Secondary level and a Superintendent's certificate. During his time as high school principal in Dansville he was member of the Middle States Association Evaluation Team of which he was very proud and was the chairman of the team for six of those years. He was also Director of Adult Education for eighteen years. While education was his chosen profession Don was also active in the late Kiwanis Club, Dansville Service Organization and was chairman of the American Red Cross Chapter #1 for several years. He was a member of the Dansville Presbyterian Church and served at various times as an elder, trustee, deacon and other church committees. Upon retirement Don decided to continue working but at several jobs such as at St. John Fisher College in Admissions, as an instructor at Bryant and Stratton College, drove bus for LATTS for five years, was a salesman for Dansville Chrysler -Plymouth and worked at Rogers & Tenbrook for seventeen years. At the age of 79 he retired for good. In his later years Don and Elsie enjoyed traveling to Branson, MO and to Hoover Dam. But most of all he and Elsie enjoyed staying home in Dansville and spending time with their family and cherished friends. He took much pleasure in going out to dinner with friends, watching the balloons float over the house during the Dansville Festival of Balloons and meeting with a couple of the "guys" each morning for a cup of coffee. Don Munson touched many lives both as an educator and as a member of the community. In 2002, he was named Senior Citizen of the Year for the Town of North Dansville. He was a hard worker who enjoyed life with those around him. He will be missed.
Mr. Munson is preceded in death by his wife Elsie (Green) Munson in 2014; his parents Lynn and Marjorie(Craft) Munson; his brother Paul Munson. He is survived by his daughters Donna (James) Szymanski and Marcia (Peter) LaForce; 4 grandchildren: Douglas (Angela) Szymanski; Jeffrey (Penny Gascoyne) Szymanski.; Megan (TJ) Woodward; Andrew LaForce; great-grandchildren Samantha Dey; Nathanael Szymanski; Kate and Cole Woodward ; sister-in-law Joan (Royce) Green along with several nieces and nephews and many wonderful friends.
Family and friends are invited to call on Monday January 30, 2017 from 4:00-7:00PM at Chamberlin–Baird Funeral Home 73 Main St., Dansville, NY 14437. An 11:00AM Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday January 31st at the Dansville Presbyterian Church 3 School St. at Central Park Dansville, NY 14437. He will be laid to rest in Greenmount Cemetery, Dansville.
Memorial contributions may be made to the church or to Livingston County Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, 3 Murray Hill, Mt. Morris, NY 14510. For more information please call 585-343-8260 or to leave a message of condolence please visit www.gilmartinfuneralhome.com. Arrangements completed by Chamberlin-Baird Funeral Home, 73 Main St., Dansville, NY 14437.
