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<p><em>Donald Albert “Don” Hubbard</em> was born on May 27, 1938 to Helen Langsdorf Hubbard and Burnette Livingston Hubbard in Haddonfield, NJ. Haddonfield was and is a community of around 10,000 people, mostly composed of people commuting to Philadelphia, PA for work. Don attended grades K-12 in Haddonfield schools. He was very active in sports throughout high school, earning 10 varsity letters in football, wrestling, and tennis. He graduated in June 1956 and, after a short break, reported to West Point on July 3, 1956 to join the Class of 1960 in Beast Barracks. Not having any prior military exposure, Beast Barracks was quite a shock, but he made it through and joined company M-1 in September 1956. The military aspects of the plebe year were a challenge. It helped that Don made the plebe athletics squad in wrestling and tennis, thus escaped the company mess hall tables most of the year. He lettered in tennis for three years, becoming the captain of the “A” squad his senior year.</p>
<p>Although somewhat reserved, Don had a keen sense of humor, which he never lost. Don mentioned that as his classmates in M-1 progressed through their four years at the Academy they became more like brothers than just friends. </p>
<p>Upon graduation Don selected the Corps of Engineers and, after a great 60 days of leave, reported to Fort Belvoir, VA for the Engineer Officer Basic Course. Upon completion of this course Don attended and successfully graduated from Airborne and Ranger schools, earning his Airborne Wings and Ranger Tab.</p>
<p>Don’s first assignment was with the 326th Engineer Battalion, 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, KY. Don started as the platoon leader of the equipment platoon and, over a period of two years, worked his way up to executive officer and company commander of HQ and HQ Company. Making 65 jumps in the two years there, he earned the Senior Parachutist Badge as well as jumpmaster and equipment rigger qualifications before moving on to his next assignment at the 8th Engineer Battalion, 1st Calvary Division along the DMZ in Korea. </p>
<p>Don’s next assignment was the Engineer Officer Career Course at Fort Belvoir. Don then went on to Texas A&M University, where he earned a master’s degree in civil engineering. This assignment was one of the highlights of Don’s career because it was during this two-year assignment that Don met and married Sandra Carter. </p>
<p>After graduating Don was assigned to the 18th Engineer Brigade in RVN, followed by an 18-month tour as the engineer instructor at the U.S. Army Transportation School at Fort Eustis, VA. This was followed by a second tour in Vietnam, this time at USARV HQ, Engineer Division, which had 45,000 non-divisional engineers under their control.</p>
<p>Don’s next assignment was as facility engineer in the German state Bavaria. There, Don and his staff of eight Americans and 400 German nationals were responsible for the upkeep of U.S. Army facilities, including housing for a division HQ, an artillery group, two battalions of armor and artillery units, two airfields with two aviation companies, and a nuclear weapons storage facility. Here, Don and Sandy were blessed with their first child, a baby girl. </p>
<p>After Germany, the family moved to the Tulsa, OK area, where Don was the senior advisor to the U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard Engineer units in Oklahoma.</p>
<p>Don left the active Army in 1974 to accept a job as manager of the construction and maintenance division for Bank of America in California. Don did however stay active in the U.S. Army Reserve, serving in the Pacific Division of the 416th Engineer Command.</p>
<p>After five years with Bank of America, Don moved to be manager of construction at the Wells Fargo Real Estate Investment Trust, with projects throughout the continent of North America. The most challenging of these was the construction of a 1,000-room (330 million dollar) Hyatt Regency hotel on the big island of Hawaii, which is mostly made of porous lava. </p>
<p>In 1984, Don and Sandy were blessed with a baby boy, Brian. </p>
<p>In 1986, a sad year for the Hubbards, Don lost the love of his life. To everyone’s sorrow, Sandy succumbed to cancer and passed away in November 1986. Don never remarried.</p>
<p>Through the years, Don has become a role model to many. He tirelessly dedicated himself to his family, volunteering, his work, and to others. Many knew him as a very strong, but compassionate individual. He remained an engineer till the end, always building and constructing even the smallest of things with calculated precision and great care.</p>
<p>Don retired from the. U.S. Army Reserve in 1988 and from Wells Fargo in 2009 after suffering a heart attack.</p>
<p>After suffering a stroke in 2016, Don spent the remainder of his life in an assisted living facility in Southern California. Don’s only sibling (his older sister) died of a heart attack in 2016.</p>
<p>Don is survived by his son, Brian; his daughter, Holly; seven grandchildren and one-great grandchild. Don passed away on December 18, 2020 and is buried in Rose Hills Memorial Cemetery in Whittier, CA, alongside his wife. </p>
<p>This world was truly a better place with him in it and he will be sorely missed.</p>
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