Darin Donlan, 46

Nov. 30, 1971 —

June 29, 2018

 

West Union - Darin Donlan, age 46 of West Union, Iowa (formerly of Calmar, Iowa) died on Friday, June 29, 2018 at the Gundersen Health System in LaCrosse, Wis..

Funeral services were held on July 5, 2018 at Calmar Lutheran Church, with Pastor Anita Nuetzman. Interment was at Orleans Lutheran Cemetery at Cresco, Iowa.

Darin Lew Donlan was born on Nov. 30, 1971 at Winneshiek County Hospital in Decorah, Iowa, the son of Dale and LaVonne (Midthus) Donlan. He was three when he went to preschool. Marlys Lien was his teacher. His second school experience was preschool for handicapped children in Spillville, Iowa, and he later attended the Abner Hendrickson School for the developmentally disabled in Decorah, Iowa with Karen Gates as his teacher. 

Darin attended junior high school in Decorah with Dennis Fisher and Paula Olejniczak as his teachers. He was integrated into the high school with Helen Wesselman as his teacher and graduated from the Laura Baker School in Northfield, Minn. with a diploma from South Winneshiek High School. 

He then worked at different facilities throughout the years. The last eight years, he had been at the Jefferson House in West Union. 

Darin was a very friendly, social person, who loved people. If he met you once, he would hold out his hand and ask for your name, and when he met you again, he would remember your name using both your first and last names. He was a wizard at putting puzzles together. His photogenic memory came in handy at home, if something was misplaced, family members would just ask him, and he would go right to it. 

Darin’s favorite past-time was shredding paper by hand. When he went to visit local farmers, he’d spread it out in their calf pens for bedding. He collected John Deere toys and enjoyed getting rides on tractors. He participated in the Special Olympics and won many medals and ribbons. Each summer, he would attend Camp Winnebago in Caledonia, Minn. or Albrecht Acres in Sherrill, Iowa. 

He loved to bicycle, roller skate, bowl, snowmobile, motorcycle, horseback ride, picnic, visit zoos, go on hayrides, swim, camp, fish, go to the movies, go to stock car races, go to theme parks and go cruising in the convertible with his brothers. He went out to eat at restaurants with family and friends on a regular basis. 

Darin was fortunate enough to have many wonderful people from all walks of life who helped support and advocate for him. He was well-loved and will never be forgotten.

Darin is survived by his mother, LaVonne Donlan of Mabel, Minn.; brothers, Danny (Michelle) Donlan of Cresco, Iowa and Deon (Tracy) Donlan of Farmington, Minn.; nieces and nephews, Samuel, Dashel, Finnegan, McKenzie and Kathleen Donlan; and aunts and uncles, Arlin Midthus of Cresco, Larry (Deb) Midthus of Cresco, Kay Donlan Strand of Decorah, Jerry (Kay) Donlan of Calmar and Marjorie (Curt) Berge Lexington, Ky. 

Darin was preceded in death by his father, Dale Donlan on Oct. 23, 1988, and grandparents, Parnell and Elizabeth Donlan and Arthur and Alice Midthus.