Donald Gochenour

Donald W. Gochenour, age 81, of Sylvania, passed away October 9, 2019. Don was born April 21, 1938 on Vail Avenue in Toledo to Robert and Lucille (Mahler) Gochenour. Don graduated from Whitmer High School in 1956 near the top of his class. It was at Whitmer where Don met his future wife and the love of his life Charmayne Hinds. They enjoyed cruising around West Toledo in Don's 56 Ford Victoria and getting burgers at the White Hut on Sylvania Avenue. After getting married in 1959, Don and Charmayne raised their four children in a home they built on Tavistock Drive in Toledo. When building their home, Don made sure to include space for his widowed mother in law to live with their family. A true "Renaissance Man" at the Tavistock homestead, Don could file the income taxes, fix his 1973 AMC Gremlin, trade stocks, plant 10 flats of flowers, mow the lawn, provide expert commentary on Ohio State Football or any Three Stooges Movie, know the words to every country music song, clean the pool (even though he couldn't swim!) and cook a full gourmet dinner for seven people all in a single Saturday afternoon! Don seemed to know the answer to virtually any question and could solve any problem no matter how complicated. Don dearly loved his family and was responsible for creating so many wonderful memories from beautiful Christmases, to carefully planned Easter Egg hunts, to elaborate Thanksgiving Day Dinners. Don's "oyster stuffing" dressing was world famous. A "roller coaster aficionado", the family eagerly awaited our annual trips to Cedar Point where Don would make sure all of his kids and later grandkids rode on all of the roller coasters with him whether they wanted to or not. Cedar Point was truly Don's "Graceland"!

Don worked his entire 45 year career in the telecommunications industry starting with Western Electric, which merged with AT&T, then became Lucent Technologies, then became AT&T again. While at AT&T, Don traveled around the Midwest overseeing the installation of various types of communication equipment. Due to his travels, Don knew virtually every back road, rural route and "out in the middle of nowhere place" in middle America. Near the end of his career, Don was heavily involved in the installation of new fiber optic cable systems which enabled the later development of a revolutionary new technology called …. "The Internet".

In retirement, Don enjoyed cooking, collecting antiques, restoring furniture, overseeing home improvement projects (he recently installed an elevator in his garage) and planning vacations for the entire family which now included eight grandchildren to Florida, Maine, Michigan, Colorado, South Carolina and an area he truly enjoyed the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Don took great pleasure in watching his grandchildren grow up, attending their athletic and school events and was immensely proud of all of them. When not with the entire family, Don and Charmayne enjoyed traveling around the United States and recently completed a Mississippi River boat cruise in celebration of their 60th wedding anniversary. Although Don left us many years too soon, he was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather who will live on in our memories forever!

Don is survived by his wife of 60 years, Charmayne A. Gochenour, children, Jennifer G. (Tom) Renshaw, Jeffery A. Gochenour, Jon D. (Lynne) Gochenour, Jay R. (Sarah) Gochenour, brother, Dale E. (Barbara Porter) Gochenour; grandchildren, Kaleigh (Phil), Ian (Brittany), Amanda, David, Lena, Nora, Jacob and Eleanor and three great grandchildren, Easton, Charlotte and Maggie. He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Robert C. and Richard A. Gochenour. He was a member of St. Pius X Church in Toledo.

The family will receive guests Sunday, October 13, 2019 from 2:00 pm - 8:00 pm at Newcomer - Northwest Chapel, 4150 W. Laskey Rd. (419-473-0300). A wake service will held at 7:00 pm. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated beginning at 10:30 am Monday, October 14 at St Pius X Church, 3011 Carskaddon Avenue; with visitation beginning at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Toledo Memorial Park. Memorial contributions in Don's memory can be made to St. Pius X Church or School.

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