Donald E. Oxenford

Born in Pt. Pleasant Beach, N. J. on February 22, 1930
Departed on January 14, 2005. Resided in Marion, IA.

Memorial

Donald E. Oxenford, of 1900 Grand Avenue, Marion, Ia., died January 14, 2005, at the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City. Memorial services and family visitation will be at 7 PM Tuesday in St. Paul's United Methodist Church with inurnment in Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery.
Don was born February 22, 1930 in Pt. Pleasant Beach, J. J. to Bishop and Lauretta Oxenford. Don attended Rutgers University and received his BA degree from Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa where he met Elaine. He received his MA and Education Specialist Degrees at the University of Iowa.
Don served in the Army as 1st Lt. In the Medical Service Corps from 1952-1955. He owned a grocery store in Merrill, Iowa. He began teaching Special Education work-study age level in 1962 in Merrill and later in LeMars. In 1965 he accepted the position of Work-Study Coordinator in Washington, Iowa with Joint County School System. In 1969 he was hired as Assistant Director of Special Education by that school system in Cedar Rapids which later became Grant Wood AEA. He retired from that position in 1992. He was hired by GWAEA in a part-time position as a compliance coordinator for special education and also for Area 7 AEA now know as AEA 267 where he worked part time for 10 years.
Don was active in Boy Scouts as a Neighborhood Commissioner, he directed the LeMars barbershoppers one year, was President of the Civic Club in Hinton and the Commercial Club in Merrill, was lay leader in the United Methodist Church, a Sunday School teacher, sand in the choirs wherever he lived, and served on many of the United Methodist Church's various committees. Don was Grand Marshall of the East Central Iowa Special Olympics on April 23, 1988. He helped organize the East Central Iowa Special Olympics in 1968 and was the coordinator for several years.
Don is survived by his wife, Elaine, and their two children, Cindy Dunlevy and husband Dave, of West Lafayette, Indiana, and Joel Oxenford and wife Val, of North Liberty, and seven grandchildren: Bryan, Andrew, Zach, and Jayne Dunlevy, and Chris, Danny, and Cassie Oxenford. He is also survived by a brother, Robin Oxenford of Buffalo, N.Y., his sister Bee Judson, and husband Richard of Pt. Pleasant Beach, N. J., a sister Nancy Stephens and husband Robert of Bricktown, N. J., a sister-in-law Vilma Oxenford of Brink, N. J., and sisters-in-law, Cleo Sipma of Hinton, Iowa, and Myrna Jones of San Diego, Ca., and eight nieces and nine nephews. Don was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, David, and a stepbrother Austin Hey.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be sent to the Digestive Clinic at the University of Iowa, or to St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Cedar Rapids.

Visitation

Service

Cemetery