Don Yokom, 94

Donald Dean Yokom, 94, passed away Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012 at Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo. Don was born Oct. 1, 1918 to Charles and Louise Yokom in Detroit, the second of three children. He graduated from Cooley High School in 1936, and Olivet College in 1940.

Don served in the Army Corps in World War II as a Master Staff Sergeant. He met his beautiful bride, Patricia Ann McCarthy, at her family’s Lake Huron cottage in Canada, and they married in 1949 in Gesu Church, Detroit.

In 1947 Don began a long career in the petroleum products industry, starting in Detroit with Sinclair Oil Co. He moved his young family west to Three Rivers in 1951 where he bought an oil and gas distributorship company. He worked long hard hours and eventually accumulated a string of Mobil and Union 76 gas stations, and sold heating oil and gasoline to homes and farms throughout southwest Michigan for over 30 years.

Don loved to spend time with his family and friends. He was actively involved in the Three Rivers Rotary Club for over 40 years. He was a member of the Detroit Athletic Club for over 50 years. Don enjoyed his daily Wall Street Journal and reading newspapers and magazines at the local library in Portage where he lived for 12 years.

Don is survived by his daughter, Mary (Rob) Johannigman; son, Donald Jr. (Margie); son, Matt (Gretchen), son, Andy (Barbara); grandchildren, Katie, Peggy, Kevin, Norah, Tim, Maureen, Kathleen, Annie, Charlie and Lillie; great-grandchildren, Lucy and Reese. Don was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia; his parents; brother, Howard, sister, Mary Louise.

Memorial services will be held at noon on Saturday, Oct. 6, at the Life Story Funeral Home, Betzler, 6080 Stadium Drive in Kalamazoo (375-2900). The family will receive friends 30 minutes prior to the service and at a lunch in the Life Story Center immediately following.