Donald Mark Vandine

Donald Mark Vandine

March 1, 1946 -April 22, 2023 77 years

Born, Detroit, Michigan. High school, Ironwood, Michigan 1964. BA Olivet Nazarene University, Bourbonnais, Illinois 1968. MA University of Arizona 1990.

Married JoAnn Palmer June 6, 1965 57 happy years

Children: Preceded in death by Mark Vandine and Jonathan Vandine. Survived by Rebecca Currier and Melinda Mears.

Grandchildren: Kelsey Keough, Kassandra Keough-Anderson, Antonio Molina, Roberto Molina, Christin Lamke, Denise (Lala) Lamke, Crystal Shelton, Doug Currier, and Nicole Currier.

Many great grandchildren.

Survived by siblings Jim Vandine, Michael Vandine, Richard Paul Vandine, and Carol West, brother-in-law Harry Palmer.

JoAnn called him a gypsy because he lived in so many places before they moved to Sierra Vista in 1983. In Illinois he was told he was five years from a wheelchair and ten years from bed. He proved the Dr. wrong by 30 years!

Don taught at Tombstone High School from 1983-95. As a history teacher, he loved teaching where history was made. Before coming to Arizona, he taught in Racine, Wisconsin and Galesburg, Illinois.

He spent some of his retirement years babysitting grandchildren, which he loved thoroughly.

He loved traveling and his favorite places were The Grand Canyon, London, Multnomah Falls in Oregon, and Ireland. He loved to sing and frequently sang solos in church. He was a member of Oasis Church of the Nazarene in Bisbee.

He was only 20 when ankylosing spondylitis began to ravage his body, twisting him from 67' to 5', in the process compressing his lungs and heart, creating more physical issues. He stayed as active as he could. His fall on March 18 broke his back and sent his Alzheimer's into overdrive. He praised God THROUGH it all (not FOR it all) and was looking forward to Heaven and a new body.

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