Donald R. Marshall

Donald R. Marshall, 87, of Orange, passed away on June 9th, 2023, at Baptist Hospital in Beaumont.
Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m., Saturday, June 17th, 2023, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Orange. Officiating will be the Reverend Keith Giblin. There will be a reception and visitation following the service.

Born on March 31st, 1936 in Chicago, Illinois, he was the son of Francis William Marshall and Dolores Bush Marshall. He grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida. During his school years he won many academic awards for essays and won a state Latin competition. Upon graduation from high school, he was awarded a four-year Baker scholarship to Vanderbilt University. He joined the ROTC and was committed to serving his country upon graduation. He graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering degree in 1957. He married Shirley Freeland that summer. (He said that was the smartest thing he ever did). The Army was not ready for him, so the newlyweds traveled to Houston, Texas where he enrolled in the graduate program in the Chemical Engineering department at the Rice Institute. His experiments established the conditions required for formation of gas hydrates at very high pressures, a subject of critical interest to the natural gas industry. While at Rice, his son Kenric Alan Marshall was born. Don received his doctorate from Rice University in 1963 and entered the workforce at DuPont’s Sabine River Works in Orange, Texas. After a few months at DuPont, he put his career on hold and entered active duty in the Unites States Army. He was assigned to Picatinny Arsenal in Dover, New Jersey, home of the munitions command. While serving in the army, his daughter Clare Lynn Marshall was born. In 1965 he was honorably discharged from the Army as a First Lieutenant and returned to Orange, Texas, vowing never to leave again. He continued his career in Research and Development where he was granted four patents during his 38 years of service to DuPont.

He was elected to the Little Cypress-Mauriceville school board in 1971, where he served for 12 years. He served as a Committeeman for Boy Scout Troop 130, and was honored for his service with election to the Order of the Arrow.

He was a member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, serving in many capacities, including as Senior Warden, a member of the vestry, a Eucharistic visitor, lay reader, usher, and a Sunday school teacher with his wife. He loved God and Jesus Christ as his Savior, and faith was always the cornerstone of his home.

In his free time, Don enjoyed flying remote-controlled airplanes with the Orange County Radio Control Club. He served as president, and was treasurer for 27 years.

He was a member of the Southeast Texas Veterans Service Group providing graveside service for veterans.

Upon retirement from DuPont, he taught chemistry at Lamar College in Orange, Texas for 20 years. He always offered free tutoring to his students.
He loved to travel and appreciate the beauty of God’s world. He was a worldwide traveler, but especially enjoyed river-cruises with his wife. He loved music, and he watched many shows at the Lutcher Theater over the years.

He was a fantastic husband, father, and grandfather who was always faithful and kind. He loved his wife, son, daughter, daughter-in-law, and all his grandchildren and treasured every moment with them. He fulfilled his wife’s lifelong dream of owning a horse on Valentine’s Day, 1985, beginning a horse-racing business that lasted for 35 years.

He was a lifelong dedicated Christian. He died peacefully on June 9th at age 87, after a life well-lived to the fullest. He was preceded in death by his parents, his daughter, Clare, and fur babies Columbo, Bunkie, and Buster. He is survived by Shirley, his loving wife of nearly 66 years, son Kenric and daughter-in-law Jana, and grandchildren Andrew, Nathanael (wife Vanessa), Philip, and Simone, brother-in-law Thomas B. Freeland, Jr. and wife Marsha, nephew Thomas B. Freeland, III and wife Monica and their children Paige, Payton, and Tee, niece Julie Davies and husband Greg and their daughter Alex, and his fur baby, Paula.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Don’s name to St. Paul’s or a charity of your choice.

Cremation will be held under the direction of Claybar Funeral Home in Orange.