Obituary of Donald Dunifer

Donald E. Dunifer, age 71 of 1010 Deerfield Drive, Iowa City, died Monday, December 15, 2003, at his home. Funeral services will be held at 3:00 p.m., Thursday, December 18, 2003, at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Iowa City with the Reverend David Aanonson officiating. Graveside services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Friday at the Viroqua Cemetery, Viroqua, Wisconsin. Memorial donations can be made in Don’s memory to Hospice. Online condolences may be sent for Don’s family through our website @www.gayandciha.com. Donald Ellsworth Dunifer was born February 13, 1932, in Ashmore, Illinois the son of Glen and Lorene (Cutler) Dunifer. He graduated from Charleston, Illinois High School in 1950. Served in the United States Air Force during the Korean Conflict. On February 15, 1953, he married Alice M. Mullen at the George Air Force Base in Victorville, California. Following service, he enrolled at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois graduating in 1958. For over thirty-two years, Don worked as a claims adjuster for Ohio Causality. Don and his wife have lived in a number of communities since their marriage, over twenty years in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, in Rockford, Illinois, in Iowa City, at the Holland Airpark in Holmen, Wisconsin, and back to Iowa City. Outside his family, his passion in life was a lifelong love of flying and rebuilding airplanes. In his lifetime, he has owned fifty airplanes. Don enjoyed going to the Oshkosh Air Show each year, and being a member of the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association). His family includes his wife of fifty years, Alice; daughters and their husbands, Susan and John Podlesak of Jefferson, Iowa, and Julie and Paul Schultz of Iowa City; son, Jeffrey Dunifer of Newton; six grandchildren, Nick, Brad, Steve, Eric, Alex, and Kasey; brother and his wife, Mike and Sue Dunifer of Charleston, IL, and a step-sister, Beverly Clarke of Florida. Don was preceded in death by his parents, a brother and step-brother. Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service of Iowa City is caring for Don’s family and his services.