Obituary of Lt. Colonel, Donald Lawrence Dew

Donald L. Dew Obituary Lt. Colonel Donald L. Dew, U.S. Army Retired, of Lake Placid, New York, passed away peacefully on October 18, 2024, at Adirondack Medical Center, Saranac Lake, NY. He is survived by Kearin, his wife of 64 years; his son, Donald Dew, Jr.; his daughter, Sarah Dew-Pratt; his son-in-law, Joshua Pratt; his grandchildren, Lowden, Amelia and Norah Pratt; his brother-in-law Warren Thomas and his wife Carol; several nieces and nephews; and many friends. Lt. Col. Dew was born January 7, 1937, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the son of Alfred and Irene (Halapin) Dew. He graduated from Fairfield Preparatory School, Fairfield, Conn., and the College of William ; Mary, where he met his future wife Kearin Thomas. He was a member of ROTC and received his B.S. in physical education and kinesiology. After graduation, in 1958, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U. S. Army. He had a life-long love for aviation, and at age 16 he earned his private pilot's license. Early in his Army career, he received his Ranger Tab, his senior aviator badge and his parachute badge. During his Army career, he served in various locations in the United States and overseas, including Germany, Iran and Vietnam. Upon completion of the Army Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, he was assigned as the Professor of Military Science at St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY. He also received his M.S. in Education from St. Lawrence. Lt. Col. Dew received the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, and Vietnam Campaign Service Medal. Following his retirement from the Army, he and his wife operated a travel agency in Canton, NY, and were official tour guides for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. He then worked for two defense contractors in Massachusetts. After having a second home in Lake Placid, the Dews moved there permanently. Continuing his love of flying, Lt. Col. Dew was a charter and scenic flight pilot as part of the Adirondack Flying Service. He also worked in real estate. An avid and expert skier, Lt. Col. Dew founded the Adaptive Snow Sports Program at Whiteface Mountain. He enjoyed teaching winter sports to people of all ages and abilities. A Mass of Christian Burial for Lt. Col. Dew will be held at St. Agnes Church in Lake Placid on Friday, October 25, 2024, at 10:00 a.m.. Burial will follow with Full Military Honors at St. Agnes Cemetery. The M. B. Clark, Inc., Funeral Home in Lake Placid is in charge of arrangements. Please visit www.mbclarkfuneralhome.com to sign the online guest book, share a memory, upload a photograph or leave condolences for the Dew family. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts in Lt. Col. Dew's honor may be made to Homeward Bound Adirondacks, a nonprofit serving veterans across the Adirondacks (https://homewardboundadirondacks.org).