Donald G. Sooby, P.E., age 85, went to be with his Savior on Monday morning, Oct. 24, 2022, at Brown County Health and Living Center. He was a resident of Brown County for 23 years.
Don was born Aug. 17, 1937, in Garden City, Kan., to the late Joe Wallace & Esther (Willis) Sooby. Predeceased by his stepmother Mary Sooby.
He graduated from Kansas University with a Civil Engineering degree. Moving to Pleasanton, CA, he would become the City Engineer. He married Judith Simms and had two children: Jane Sooby, Santa Cruz, Calif. and Joel Rickert (David), Sacramento, Calif. From California, he would be hired as a project manager for Kaiser Engineering in Denver, Colo. That job would take him to Lafayette, Ind. to relocate train rails. Later he would become Lafayette’s City Engineer. While in Lafayette, he would meet and marry Gloria Schnebly on Oct. 21, 1989. He would complete his engineering career as Brown County’s Highway Engineer, introducing white lining of county roads.
He was preceded in death by siblings: Charlene Wilcox, Katheryn Fox, Wendell Wilcox, Joann Hamilton, and Karen Lee Sooby.
Don is survived by his wife Gloria; his sister, Mary Ward, Wichita, Kan. and niece, Rochelle Hamilton, Albuquerque, N.M. Children as listed above and step children: Garret Schnebly (Sylvia-fiancée) of Princeton, Ind. and Jay (Becky) Schnebly of Lafayette. Grandchildren: James Schnebly of Princeton; Kaitlynn Schnebly of Lafayette; Monterey Rickert, Eva Rickert, Callaway Rickert of Sacramento. Great grandchild: Mila Rickert of Sacramento. His great cat TIMMY also survives him.
A Celebration of Life service will be held on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022 at 11 a.m. at Cottonwood Christian Church, 2523 W. Cottonwood Road, Morgantown, IN 46160. Memorial gifts may be sent to The Brown County Humane Society, 128 State Road 135 South, Nashville, IN 47448.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be made to the family at www.BondMitchellFuneralHome.
