1945
Donald
2010
Donald Mina
February 2, 1945 — June 28, 2010
ADDISON / PANTON - Donald G. Mina, age 65, died on Monday, June 28, 2010 from complications from a stroke that occurred in March, 2010. Though he was a resident of Leesburg, Florida he spent many memorable years in Vermont.
Don was born in Stratford, Connecticut, and was the son of George and Viola (Wuagon) Mina. In 1948 he moved to Massapequa Park, on Long Island, New York and lived there until 1963 where he graduated from high school and married his high school sweetheart, Vicki (Thompson) Mina. He then enlisted in the U.S. Air Force for four years and he trained at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas and then he was stationed in Germany for two years. While in Europe, he and Vicki and their daughter Marybeth toured the European continent and visited relatives in Italy. They would return to Long Island where he was stationed at the Westhampton Air Force Base on Long Island until 1967 when he was honorably discharged. Thereafter, he enrolled at Hofstra University and earned his BA degree in business in 1972. He entered the insurance industry in 1972 and earned a significant reputation as a re-insurance underwriting expert in a very complicated and competitive business environment. Though he lived in Cornwall, New York, he worked in New York City and Boston, Massachusetts until 1990 when he was medically retired because of rheumatoid arthritis. In 1991, Don married Sue (Heim) Mina of New Canaan, Connecticut. He and Sue lived there until 1998 when they moved to Leesburg, Florida. Though most individuals would have slowed down because of his medical condition, this was not Donalds makeup. Though he could not work any longer in an office, that did not stop him from traveling to the family Vermont home on Lake Carmi and spending summers with his wife and grandchildren.
Additionally, through the ensuing years, Don would go through more than twelve medical operations in replacing body joints that were ravaged by the rheumatoid arthritis. In spite of his medical infirmities, he found time to fulfill a lifelong dream of earning his private pilots license in 1994 after being trained at the Swanton Vermont Pilot Center and also in Danbury Connecticut. He enjoyed the freedom of flying and he was a certified pilot until his passing.
In 2000, The family camp on Lake Carmi was sold after 50 years of wonderful memories. Not to be away from Vermont long, in 2004 he returned to assist his brother, Bruce, in developing four-acre grape vineyard in Addison, Vermont. As the vineyard overseer, though he was medically limited, Don exhibited an unbridled passion when it came to his grape vines and the vineyard. His commitment and excellence in knowing all he could know about grape growing helped develop a first-class vineyard in Addison which gained the respect and admiration of other vintners in Vermont. In 2008, after another 125 acres was purchased by his brother on Route 22A, in Panton, Don would oversee the development on Panton Hills Vineyards with the initial planting of four acres. The first harvest is scheduled for this September and though he will not be there with us, his memory and passion will always be there.
Dons other passion was being a grandfather and he loved returning to Florida and Massachusetts. He was known as Papa and he will be sorely missed by Samantha, Jake, Max, Ben, Gretchen, Jack, Riley, Tegan, Alyssa, Nicole and Katherine. He leaves behind his wife Sue (Suzanne) of 18 years, his daughter, Marybeth and her husband Dean of Foxboro, Massachusetts, his daughter, Michelle and her husband, Harry of Hanson, Massachusetts, his son Mark and his wife Stacy of Mansfield, Massachusetts, his step-daughter, Sue Gladu, and her husband, Leo, of Floral City, Florida, his brother Bruce and his wife, Gloria, of Roslyn Heights, New York, and his niece, Karen (Mina) Diaz and her husband Mike of Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas, and grand-niece, Olivia and his nephew, Robert and wife Lynda of West Chester, Pennsylvania and grand-niece Kathryn, eleven grandchildren and many cousins.
A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Saturday, July 10, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Missisquoi St., Enosburg Falls with Rev. Daniel Jordan officiating. Interment will follow in St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery in Enosburg Falls.
Visiting hours will be held Friday from 3-5 p.m. & 7-9 p.m. at the Spears Funeral Home, 96 Dickinson Avenue, Enosburg Falls.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations in the name of The Don Mina Memorial Fund for the benefit of the Northland Job Corp. located in Vergennes, Vermont. Please mail donations to The Don Mina Memorial Fund c/o Bruce A. Mina, CPA, 555 Broadhollow Road, Suite 404, Melville, New York, 11747
Don was born in Stratford, Connecticut, and was the son of George and Viola (Wuagon) Mina. In 1948 he moved to Massapequa Park, on Long Island, New York and lived there until 1963 where he graduated from high school and married his high school sweetheart, Vicki (Thompson) Mina. He then enlisted in the U.S. Air Force for four years and he trained at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas and then he was stationed in Germany for two years. While in Europe, he and Vicki and their daughter Marybeth toured the European continent and visited relatives in Italy. They would return to Long Island where he was stationed at the Westhampton Air Force Base on Long Island until 1967 when he was honorably discharged. Thereafter, he enrolled at Hofstra University and earned his BA degree in business in 1972. He entered the insurance industry in 1972 and earned a significant reputation as a re-insurance underwriting expert in a very complicated and competitive business environment. Though he lived in Cornwall, New York, he worked in New York City and Boston, Massachusetts until 1990 when he was medically retired because of rheumatoid arthritis. In 1991, Don married Sue (Heim) Mina of New Canaan, Connecticut. He and Sue lived there until 1998 when they moved to Leesburg, Florida. Though most individuals would have slowed down because of his medical condition, this was not Donalds makeup. Though he could not work any longer in an office, that did not stop him from traveling to the family Vermont home on Lake Carmi and spending summers with his wife and grandchildren.
Additionally, through the ensuing years, Don would go through more than twelve medical operations in replacing body joints that were ravaged by the rheumatoid arthritis. In spite of his medical infirmities, he found time to fulfill a lifelong dream of earning his private pilots license in 1994 after being trained at the Swanton Vermont Pilot Center and also in Danbury Connecticut. He enjoyed the freedom of flying and he was a certified pilot until his passing.
In 2000, The family camp on Lake Carmi was sold after 50 years of wonderful memories. Not to be away from Vermont long, in 2004 he returned to assist his brother, Bruce, in developing four-acre grape vineyard in Addison, Vermont. As the vineyard overseer, though he was medically limited, Don exhibited an unbridled passion when it came to his grape vines and the vineyard. His commitment and excellence in knowing all he could know about grape growing helped develop a first-class vineyard in Addison which gained the respect and admiration of other vintners in Vermont. In 2008, after another 125 acres was purchased by his brother on Route 22A, in Panton, Don would oversee the development on Panton Hills Vineyards with the initial planting of four acres. The first harvest is scheduled for this September and though he will not be there with us, his memory and passion will always be there.
Dons other passion was being a grandfather and he loved returning to Florida and Massachusetts. He was known as Papa and he will be sorely missed by Samantha, Jake, Max, Ben, Gretchen, Jack, Riley, Tegan, Alyssa, Nicole and Katherine. He leaves behind his wife Sue (Suzanne) of 18 years, his daughter, Marybeth and her husband Dean of Foxboro, Massachusetts, his daughter, Michelle and her husband, Harry of Hanson, Massachusetts, his son Mark and his wife Stacy of Mansfield, Massachusetts, his step-daughter, Sue Gladu, and her husband, Leo, of Floral City, Florida, his brother Bruce and his wife, Gloria, of Roslyn Heights, New York, and his niece, Karen (Mina) Diaz and her husband Mike of Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas, and grand-niece, Olivia and his nephew, Robert and wife Lynda of West Chester, Pennsylvania and grand-niece Kathryn, eleven grandchildren and many cousins.
A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Saturday, July 10, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Missisquoi St., Enosburg Falls with Rev. Daniel Jordan officiating. Interment will follow in St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery in Enosburg Falls.
Visiting hours will be held Friday from 3-5 p.m. & 7-9 p.m. at the Spears Funeral Home, 96 Dickinson Avenue, Enosburg Falls.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations in the name of The Don Mina Memorial Fund for the benefit of the Northland Job Corp. located in Vergennes, Vermont. Please mail donations to The Don Mina Memorial Fund c/o Bruce A. Mina, CPA, 555 Broadhollow Road, Suite 404, Melville, New York, 11747
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Donald Mina, please visit our flower store.
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