Obituary of Donald Daum

Donald R. Daum, (77), of State College died, January 15, 2011 at the Fairways of Brookline in State College. Born December 25, 1933 in Washington Township, Clarion County, he was a son of the late Perry E. and Elva M. Kapp Daum. On June 13, 1959, he married Gail Marie Griffith, who preceded him in death on February 14, 2005. He was a 1952 graduate of Shippenville-Elk High School. In 1956 he earned a B.S. Degree and in 1958 a M.S. Degree both in Agricultural Engineering from Penn State University. While earning his Bachelors Degree, he was enrolled in the Reserve Officers Training Corps and was awarded a Reserve Commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Reserves. He served 12 years in the Reserves, retiring with the rank of Captain. He worked on the faculty of the University of Illinois in the Department of Agricultural Engineering from 1959 to 1966. Starting in 1966, he worked in the Agricultural Engineering Extension group at Penn State until retiring in 1994 as Professor Emeritus. Professor Daum was a senior member of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, where he served on several regional and national committees. He also had memberships in several professional groups including The Extension Professions' Association, Epsilon Sigma Phi, Gamma Sigma Delta, Sigma Xi, and Scabbard and Blade. He was awarded the Gamma Sigma Delta award for Excellence in Extension Programming. He enjoyed the outdoors with travel, gardening, hunting, and hiking being favorite activities. Genealogy also was a hobby, and he generated family trees covering nine generations in both his mother's and father's families. He was a Penn State sports fan. Being a member of Pine Hall Lutheran Church, he was elected several times to the Church Council where he served in various leadership roles. He was a member of the Ferguson Township Lions Club where he received the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award. He is survived by two daughters, Debra D. Thunberg and her husband Thomas of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and Karen L. Peoples and her husband Edward of State College, a son, Alan E. Daum of State College, and a sister Doris I. Branstrom and her husband Robert of Carmichael, California. He is also survived by four grandchildren: Erica and Kevin Thunberg and Victoria and Mitchell Peoples. He was preceded in death by two brothers, A. Robert Daum and Lee R. Daum. Friends will be received on Tuesday, January 18, 2011 from 2 until 4 p.m. and 5 until 8 p.m. at Koch Funeral Home, 2401 S. Atherton Street, State College. The funeral will be at 11:00 am on Wednesday January 19th at the Pine Hall Lutheran Church with the Rev. Susan Williamson officiating. Burial will be in the Pine Hall Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Pine Hall Lutheran Church, 1760 W. College Ave, State College, PA 16801 or Ferguson Township Lions Club, Pine Grove Mills, PA 16868.