URSEM, Donald Albert

Vistoso Funeral Home, Oro Valley, Arizona Donald Albert Ursem October 16, 1943 - September 1, 2014 After almost three years of battling prostate and gastric cancer, a Whipple procedure, radiation, multiple chemo regimens, and a clinical trial, Don lost his fight with cancer. He died peacefully at home under the gentle care of Casa de la Luz Hospice. They were wonderful and and treated him as lovingly as family. They also provided much needed moral support to our whole family. Our daughter and son-in-law (Kristen/Troy) and granddaughter Emma were here with him the first two weekends he was home. His sister Marsha returned (after a long visit in June/July) and shared good days with him. I (wife Mary Beth) savored every moment we could share. Live, Love, Laugh! These three words embody Don’s philosophy of life. Always ready for a new adventure, to lend a hand, to have a good time with friends and family, he embraced life with a wonderful passion and determination. His life adventures brought him from Ohio to New York to New Jersey to California to Arizona. His career in technology included many different roles in large and small companies/corporations – New York Telephone, AT&T, UNIX Systems Laboratories, Novell, Remedy Corporation, Franklin Templeton Inc., Vocalpoint Technologies, Cisco. Don served in the U.S. Army Engineers from 1967 to 1969 and was deployed to Vietnam in 1968. He was an avid computer “geek” – from the early days of the Atari 800 when he authored Tank Trap and Starbase Hyperion to recent retirement activities writing Kindle how-to books and teaching technology courses about new gadgets in the Highlands at Dove Mountain community. He was an incredible husband, a doting and nurturing father and grandfather, and a good friend – he is/was and always will be our “Super-Don!” If you'd like to make a donation in Don's memory, please choose any organization of your choice for cancer research, especially favored is one aimed at treating gastric cancer or an organization that supports Veterans. Two possible choices: • Gastric Cancer Foundation c/o The V Foundation for Cancer Research 106 Towerview Court Cary, NC 27513 • Soldiers Heart – an organization created in response to the outpouring of concern for our nation’s veterans and their psychological wounds. http://www.soldiersheart.net/index.shtml
Posted by Sharla on September 06, 2014

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