Posted on 05/13/2019
Donald Leigh Hirst (Oct 9, 1935 - Apr 28, 2019 )
Donald Leigh Hirst went to Heaven, departing from Torrance, CA, on April 28 while listening to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, his favorite composer. He was 83. Don was born in Ogden, UT to Charles M. Hirst and Mary V. Kendrick. He became an Eagle Scout, received his B.S. from the U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis) in 1957, and earned his M.S. degree in engineering from the U of Pittsburgh, PA. Don eventually became a full Colonel in the Air Force and served his country for 25 years. Next, he volunteered, first as an assistant and later as the president of the Family History Library on the grounds of the LA Temple in Santa Monica (1983-1987). He started teaching classes on a variety of genealogy topics to empower patrons to be effective detectives in their family history research. At the beginning of each class, Don would find out what specific questions each student had, then he'd cover the topic as well as add some customized content to answer the questions of those students. Don also helped establish the British Isles Family History Society in January 1988. He married his dearly beloved Marylin in 1958. Don and Marylin became the parents of Mike (Mirja), James, Helen, and David, and have three grandchildren, Jennifer, Joseph, and Anna. Don will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and fellow genealogists. Besides his immediate family, he is survived by two brothers Bob (Brigitte) and Jim (Glenda) and their children, and grandchildren. His memorial service is on May 18, 2019 (Saturday) at 11 am at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 22605 Kent Ave, Torrance, CA 90505.
Published in Daily Breeze on May 12, 2019