Donald G Marsh
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Donald's obituary
Donald Gustave Marsh passed peacefully into the loving arms of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on January 18, 2026, at the Fairbanks home he had shared with his beloved wife, our mother, Eleanor. He was ninety-six years old. He and Eleanor had five children together, sixteen grandchildren, and numerous great-grandchildren.
Born in November 1929 in Boston, Massachusetts, Donald was the eldest of three children and the only boy. Quiet, responsible, and thoughtful from a young age, he loved music, mathematics, and helping others. Much of his childhood was spent in a multigenerational home with his paternal grandmother. At seventeen, he experienced the sudden loss of his father...an event that shaped him profoundly.
Having been accepted to MIT, where his father had graduated, Donald instead chose with his family's advice, to attend North Park Jr. College alongside his best friend. He later transferred to Northwestern University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. He was partly motivated by a teacher who once told him he would never make a mathematician. Donald quietly proved otherwise.
While at Northwestern, he was drafted into the Korean War and served from 1951 to 1953. During the voyage overseas, he prayed privately for the opportunity to serve as a chaplain’s assistant. He told no one. When asked about his skills, he mentioned only that he could play piano and organ. Soon after arriving, he was assigned as a chaplain’s assistant. All Donald could say regarding the answered prayer was, "You are an awesome God!" Through music, he ministered to others while serving our country.
Returning home in 1953, Donald resumed his studies and soon met Eleanor Grant at an InterVarsity skating event. They held hands while skating, an understated beginning to a lifelong love. Eleanor was attending Wheaton College and teaching elementary school. They married in August 1954, the same week Donald graduated and began his first professional position with an insurance company. He was sent to Lincoln Labs for computer training, stepping into a field that was just beginning to change the world.
The newlyweds settled in Chicago, where daughters Linda and Susan were born. A job transfer soon moved the family to the Los Angeles area, where they eventually welcomed David, Douglas, and their youngest, Laurie...a joyful surprise. Donald faithfully commuted across the congested freeways from Woodland Hills to Santa Monica, building a career in the evolving computer industry.
Wherever they lived, church was central. At their Swedish Covenant congregation, Donald served as organist and choir director, often leading from the organ. Later, he and Eleanor became involved in a charismatic fellowship and volunteered at Billy Graham crusades and Kathryn Kuhlman events.
In 1974, sensing God’s leading, they made a bold decision: sell their belongings and move to Alaska. They drove the Alaska Highway to join a Christian community in the Copper Valley, where they lived from 1974 to 1981. Donald commuted weekly to Anchorage to work in computing for the Alyeska Pipeline, while Eleanor served as co-principal of the community school. Together, they were deeply involved in ministry. After the pipeline project wound down, Donald founded his own company, CompuData.
In 1981, they moved to an 80-acre farm in Delta Junction they had purchased at an auction. By then, the three eldest children had left home, while Douglas and Laurie remained. With the help of his brother David, and brother in law Nick, Douglas built two large homes on the property. Donald ministered at a local fellowship and later worked for Municipal Utility Services in Fairbanks and with Chief Andrew Isaac before retiring at seventy years old. Retirement did not slow him; he became a hay farmer, tending the Delta property with steady dedication.
Music continued to thread through his life. He cherished opportunities to play the pipe organ at Fort Greely. Following one of those times he felt so happy, that he expressed it to God. He felt in his heart that God was saying, "do something about that".
It's amazing how God knows the desires of our hearts, and will open doors when we trust in Him. They started attending First Presbyterian Church on 7th Ave. in Fairbanks. When he noticed an unused organ there, he asked if he might play. For years afterward he served weekly as an organist, bringing joy to himself and to others...until the disruptions of COVID.
In his final years, Donald faced significant health challenges: COVID in 2021, shingles in 2022, and the heartbreaking loss of Eleanor in 2023. Complications followed, including C. Diff and the loss of mobility. He entered hospice care in 2024 due to pulmonary issues, yet his spirit remained steady.
Before Eleanor’s passing, they ended each evening holding hands in bed. Family members who served as caregivers would sing hymns with them before leaving the room. We could normally hear the rest of their routine; Donald would recite Psalm 23 and other Scriptures from memory. Even as his body weakened, his faith did not. His tenderness toward Eleanor and his unwavering trust in God, left an impression on all who witnessed it, and is one of our many lasting legacies.
Donald’s life was marked by quiet determination, musical worship, courageous decisions, and deep faith. He trusted that God knew the desires of his heart. Time and again, doors opened. His legacy lives on in the family he loved, the music he played, and the steadfast faith in Christ and hope that he carried to the end.
Donald G Marsh of Swedish descent, was preceded in death by his father Gustave Marsh, mother Doris (Westlund) Marsh, sister Phyllis Marsh, son Douglas (1991) and son in laws Nick Jennings (1990) and Joseph Brooks (2016), both formerly married to daughter Susan, as well as first grandchild Michael Jennings, Nick and Susan’s first child (1978).
Donald is survived by his sibling Enid Miner of CT, Don & Eleanor's four remaining children and their spouses; Linda and (Prins) Samuel- Delta Jct, Susan Brooks- Fairbanks, David and (Dixie) Marsh- Wasilla, Laurie and (Ken) Wilson- Fairbanks. Grandchildren; Andrew and Sarah (Lambert) Samuel, Jackson and Christi (Jennings) Cole, Aaron and Lisa (Jennings) Baranoski, Jared and Laura (Jennings) Medina, Phillip and Mary (Webb) Wilson, Grant and Julia Wilson; and eight grandchildren with David’s former wife, Robin Marsh: Jonathan and (Terye) Marsh, Grace and (Zach) Green, Thomas and (Selina) Marsh, Annie and (Drew) Shannon, Joshua and (Kobe) Marsh, Sarah and (Josh) Burg, Peter Marsh, Lizzie and (Jacob) Griffin. Local great grandchildren; Roman, Annabell and Zachary Samuel, Olivia, Kerris and Jenna Cole; Corin, Sierra, Kendra and Aiden Baranoski, & James Medina.
The family would like to thank Hospice of Fairbanks, Foundation Health Partners, and all the care workers and local agencies who cared for our father. Your labor has been very appreciated over the years.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made "In memory of Donald G. Marsh" to Hospice at; fairbankshospitalfoundation.com
Or Checks may be mailed to;
FHP Hospice Services 2001 Gillam Way Fairbanks, Alaska 99701
Memories and photos may be shared here at the everloved.com website, under the name of Donald G Marsh.
Obituary written by daughter; Susan Brooks
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