Donald Christman

Donald C. H. Christman left this world peacefully to be with our Lord early March 9, 2005, with the immediate family present.

He was born in Cleveland on Jan. 30, 1918, to Clarence and Helen (Dignan) Christ man, and attended Almira Grade School until the family moved to Cuyahoga Falls in 1929. He graduated from Cuyahoga Falls High School in January 1935 and Bliss Electrical School in Washington D.C., in 1936. Donald Christman and Bobbie Seeds were married Aug. 11, 1940, and resided in Lakewood until after he was sent to sales school. He was made an IBM sales representative and transferred to Akron, where he remained after retiring from IBM in 1972 with 35 years of service. He was a member of the 100% Club and golden Circle a record number of times.

He served on the Board of Trustees and as a deacon of the First Congregational Church in Cuyahoga Falls (Pilgrim United Church of Christ), the Silver Lake School Board and Silver Lake Village Council for 12 years and as its president for six years. He was a member of Clifton-Gaston Allen Lodge 664 F&AM in Lakewood, Tadmor Temple, Elks, was a charter member of Silver Lake Country Club, and a past member of the Cuyahoga Falls Lions Club. He enjoyed family, boating, swimming, fishing, people, traveling, water skiing, and reading.

Preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Helen Christman, and brother-in-law, Rudy Weitzman, he is survived by his wife, Bobbie Christman; daughters, Bobbie (Dick) Mehl, Candy Christman, Mindy Christman, and Charme' (Mark) Ondracek; son, Don "Chris" (Gayle) Christman; granddaughters, Bobbie (Dan) Coleman, and Wendy (Tee) Wilkins; grandsons, Chris Mehl, Robert Ondracek, Jeffrey Ondracek, and Andrew Ondracek; great-granddaughter, Emma Grace Coleman "The Miracle Baby"; sisters, Betty Weitzman, Helen (Ben) Kastein, Grace (Don) Mathews; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Our heartfelt thanks to Dr. Dawn Hubbard for her faithful care for many years, and the staff in the ER and everyone who cared for Don at Akron City and St. Thomas hospitals for their excellent, unselfish care and kindness. A special thanks to each and every employee of Traditions at Bath Road for their individual loving, tender, personal acts of love to our husband/father these past years and unbelievable, thoughtful, loving gestures to each member of our family to ease the passing in these last fragile days. Also special thanks to the staff of Visiting Nurse Service for their exceptional care.

A funeral service will be conducted TODAY at 11 a.m. at the Church in Silver Lake Congregational Church of Christ, 2951 Kent Rd., Pastor Stephen Bucy from the Chapel in Green officiating. Final resting place, Crown Burial Park. Memorials may be made in his memory to Good Neighbors of Cuyahoga Falls, 1601 Munroe Falls Ave., Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 44221; Haven of Rest Ministries, 175 E. Market St., Akron, Ohio 44309; Church in Silver Lake, or The Chapel.