Darwin DeLand

Obituary of Darwin DeLand Darwin Lee "Don" DeLand, 78, a 27-year employee of the Lake County Clerk of Courts, died March 13, 2012 at Leesburg Regional Medical Center after a short illness. He was a beloved father, grandfather and great-grandfather-born May 26, 1933 on a farm in Fulton County, Indiana, near the town of Bruce Lake Station. He was the son of Delamer Leroy DeLand and Bessie Mae Crabill and had no brothers or sisters. Mr. DeLand was predeceased by his parents and by his son David M. DeLand(Toni), who passed away in Nov. 2009. He is survived by his three children-son Darwin "Don" DeLand, Jr.(Pam)of Lake City, Fla., Derek DeLand (Maile)of Lady Lake, Fla. and Lori Sue McLaughlin(Brian) of South Daytona, Fla. He is the grandfather of 11-April DeLand, Brandy DeLand, Lee DeLand, David DeLand Jr., Robin Samartino, Zack DeLand, Cory DeLand, Jacob DeLand, Alexis DeLand, Kaitlyn McLaughlin and Tristan McLaughlin. He is the great-grandfather of seven. Darwin lived his entire childhood in Indiana, the majority of which was in the vicinity of Rochester. He was a 1951 graduate of Rochester High School but was at Kewanna High School up until the end of his junior year. He had many good memories of his years around Bruce Lake Station, while he also had early memories of living in the towns of Palestine, Mentone and Lincolnville. Six months after graduation he enlisted in the Air Force and went on to serve nearly four years-Jan 1952-Nov. 1955. He did his basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas and shortly afterwards was sent to the Korean War-stationed about 30 miles from the front lines, where he dealt with coded communications. While in Korea, he received the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Good Conduct Medal. After his 11-month service in Korea, he served stateside, when he was honorably discharged and came back to Rochester, Ind.-and shortly afterwards married Lorraine E. Saunders in Dec. 1955. After a short stint at North Manchester College in Indiana, he took a job at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City, Ind. After that, he earned a position as manager of the Times Theatre in Rochester-a job he loved. By 1959, he was living in Miami and lived in Florida the rest of his life. In 1972, he and his family moved to Leesburg-where he worked for the Lake County Clerk of Courts from 1972-99. In his earlier years, Mr. DeLand loved photography, theatre/cinema, painting and music-playing the saxophone and clarinet-and he was also an excellent writer. He was a distant relative of Henry A. DeLand, the founder of the town of DeLand and Stetson University. Funeral services will be held at 8:30 a.m. at April 12 at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Leesburg. Interment will follow at Tavares Cemetery, with military honors. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the American Heart Association or St. Paul's Catholic Church. Services Funeral services will be held at 8:30 a.m. at April 12 at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Leesburg. Interment Interment will follow at Tavares Cemetery, with military honors. Memorial Donations In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the American Heart Association or St. Paul's Catholic Church.

Darwin DeLand

May 26, 1933 - March 13, 2012