Donner, Frank P.

Frank P. Donner, 84, of Dubuque, died Thursday, Nov. 11, 2010, at Finley Hospital. Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Sunday at Egelhof, Siegert & Casper Westview Funeral Home and Cremation Service, 2659 Kennedy Rd., Dubuque, where visitation will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday.

Frank was born March 21, 1926, in Chicago, Ill., son of Frank P. and Cora (Meyer) Donner. He was raised in Freeport, Ill., where he attended school until his high school graduation. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1944 to 1950. During World War II he served in the Philippines and Okinawa and in the Naval Reserve in Dubuque, Iowa. He married Ruth Fowler in 1948 at the University of Dubuque Chapel.

He graduated from the University of Dubuque and worked as a field scout executive for the Northeast Iowa Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Later he taught at Jefferson Junior High School, Dubuque, for 31 years. He received a master's degree from the University of Northern Colorado at Greeley.

Frank was an Eagle scout and holder of the Ranger Award in senior scouting and the Silver Beaver Award. He was also a vigil member of the Order of the Arrow. He was the first director at Adventure Island and Camp C.S. Klaus.

He was an avid bird watcher and enjoyed spending time in his cabin in northern Minnesota. He was a die-hard Green Bay Packer, Iowa Hawkeye and Chicago Cubs fan.

He is survived by his wife, Ruth Donner of Dubuque; two children, Peggy (Capt. Gary, USN) Goodell of Fairfax, Va., and Robert (Sandie) Donner of Minneapolis; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Northeast Iowa Council of Boy Scouts of America or Jefferson Middle School, Dubuque.

Online condolences may be submitted at