Obituary of Donald G. Waterman

Donald G. Waterman Rochester: Passed away on December 12, 2015 just 10 days shy of his 98th birthday. He was predeceased by his sister, Jane Martin; brother, Fritz Waterman. He is survived by his wife of 74 years, Mary (Arena) Waterman; sons, Daniel (Carolyn) Waterman & Stephen (Paulette) Waterman; daughter, Anne (Allen Grieco) Waterman; 9 grandchildren & 6 great grandchildren; sister, Eleanor Doolittle. On Saturday, December 12, 2015, a man whose laugh lines defined his face and who lightened lives with his kindness and goodness, passed into his endless reward. Don was a young ten days shy of his 98th birthday, still swimming most days and still playing cards, table tennis, and hiking until the end. Born on December 22, 1917 in Utica, the second of four children, Don's early life experiences mirrored the tough times of the depression era. He held a number of part time jobs during school, including summers spent caring for goats and mink at his uncle’s farm, and worked in an office supply store after high school. Having taken the civil service test, he was offered a job working in the Department of the Navy as World War II was breaking out. There, he met his wife of 74 years, Mary. They wed on October 25, 1941. His older son, Daniel, was born two years later. After Pearl Harbor, Don enlisted in the Navy on Dec. 8, 1941. He was a photo-lithographer transferring communication codes to lithographic plates. He was assigned in 1944 to aerial photography and transferred to the Pacific Theater based in Oahu Hawaii. He continued to work in the litho area, including printing maps with landing instructions for island invasions. He was promoted to specialist photographer. Discharged in 1945 he remained in the Naval Reserve and served aboard ships during active duty training. He was called back for active duty in 1950 for the Korean conflict and stationed at the Brooklyn Naval Yard where he served as a photographer and processed ID's. He was promoted to Chief Petty Officer and discharged in 1952. His navy service including reserves was 11 years. Until his death, he was a member of American Legion Post 468 in Greece (ID 201270656). Following his discharge in 1945, the family moved to Rochester where he began a 30 year career at Eastman Kodak, and where his second child, Stephen, and daughter, Anne, were born. In 1956 the family moved to a newly built home in Greece, N.Y. where he lived until 2006. At Kodak, he worked in Bldg. 29, coating five-foot wide sheets of film with microscopic layers of emulsions – in absolute darkness. Don was a devout Catholic, and served as a reader and usher at services in St. Lawrence parish in Greece. He volunteered on the Greece Ambulance, as an Assistant Scout Master for Troop 138, and as a coach for children’s baseball and soccer. He was always active in sports, including tennis, canoeing, skiing, and golf well into his 80’s, and camping when his children were young, teaching them by example and with humor and patience. The most memorable of the camping trips occurred in 1959, when during a month-long tour of the U.S. the family was believed lost in the famous Yellowstone earthquake. In his later years, he and Mary were active square dancers and played bridge and many other card games. They also traveled to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Don traveled to Kenya and Alaska. Don was an avid and excellent photographer and a long-time member of the Kodak Camera club where he won several awards for his nature photos. For 26 years Don and Mary split their time between Florida and Greece, with close friends in both places. In 2006, they moved to Florida full-time, but returned to Rochester in 2012 to be near their daughter. He leaves behind his wife, a sister, three children, nine grandchildren and six great grandchildren, all who will miss his caring and humor. Family and friends are invited to a Graveside Service on WEDNESDAY, December 16th at 11 AM in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, 2461 Lake Avenue (Click for a Map to the Cemetery). Those wishing to attend are asked to meet at the Main Entrance on Lake Ave. at 10:45 AM. Home Rochester, New York Birthplace Utica, New York Donations In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to a charity of your choice.