Donald C. Koester

Donald C. Koester, age 87 of Crown Point, passed away on November 22, 2019. He was born and raised in Gary, IN and was a 1950 graduate of Tolleston High School. He served with the army in South Korea immediately after the 1953 truce. Don retired after a long career with his friends at G. W. Berkheimer Company, then happily served as a host with Burns Funeral Home. He was lead usher at Church of the Four Seasons. He was preceded in death by his parents, Vernon Sr. and Gertrude (Scheub) Koester; his brother, Vernon Koester Jr; and his infant son, Donald Koester Jr. He is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Ethel Koester (nee Chizer); son David (Mary) Koester of Schererville, daughter Katherine (Richard) Connor of Big Rapids, MI; adored grandchildren Matthew (Romana) Connor, John Connor, Gail (Matthew) Burdo, Amy Koester, and William Koester; great grandchildren Mali, Emma and Ivan Burdo and Lila and Griffin Connor; sister Karen (Wayne) Lanning of Hudson, FL, sister Judith (Edward) Michaels of Brentwood, CA, sister-in-law Mitzi Koester of Mission Viejo, CA, and brother in law Lewis (late Virginia Jones) Chizer of Cincinnati, OH. Don made countless friends through a lifetime of region sports. He played baseball and was a batting champion in the Industrial Baseball League. He coached and was a board member at Junedale Little League. He officiated high school football and basketball and college football in Indiana and was a founder of Lake County Athletic Officials Association. Don played mushball and softball through five decades, bowled for many years, and was a member of the Four Seasons Men’s Golf Association. In his retirement, he and his wife coordinated the Four Seasons ‘Hits and Giggles’ couples golf league. He was honored to be inducted into the Officials’ Center Circle of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015. Don will be remembered for his never-ending generosity to others, his sense of humor, and being an avid Cubs fan. He loved his family dearly and enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions would be appreciated to the youth camp fund of Church of the Four Seasons, or Spectrum Health Hospice of Big Rapids, MI who so kindly cared for Don and his family. Friends may visit with Don’s family on Tuesday, December 3, 2019 from 3-8 p.m. at Burns Funeral Home, 10101 Broadway, Crown Point, IN. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, December 4, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. at Burns, Crown Point. Private interment Calumet Park Cemetery. www.burnsfuneral.com.

Donald C. Koester

November 12, 1932 - November 22, 2019