Donald Glenn

Donald Robert Glenn was born on November 21, 1939, in Brooklyn, NY and passed away on September 6, 2021 in Annandale, VA at the age of 81. He was the first child and only son to a musical family that included his mother Florence, father George, and later, sister Barbara.

His mathematical mind carried him to a mechanical engineering degree at Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1961, and then to engineering jobs at Boeing in Alabama and General Electric in Pennsylvania. These paths led him to father four daughters: Tracy, Michele, Beth and Sheri.

Until Parkinson’s disease robbed him of his movement, it’s safe to say he lived his best life on his own terms with his beloved wife, Louise. They met in 1974, and their love grew quickly and remarkably; on their first date he brought her chocolate chip cookies and also proposed. They married 6 months later and took on “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” as their song. He adopted and became Dad to her young daughter, Heidi.

The three moved to the Washington, DC area in 1977 and planted roots that blossomed and prosper today. It’s where Heidi and her partner, Joe, live with Don’s three grandchildren, Joey, Cooper, and Ada Easley.

He also leaves behind grandchildren Erin and Amy Conner, Lia and Noa Pecarsky, and Daniel, Sophia, Madison, and Oliver Throne.

Don’s career high was Energy Research Corporation, where he was vice president of corporate development and later, president of one of ERC’s subsidiaries, Fuel Cell Engineering. He was also active on the boards of all the communities where he had a home and frequently served as president of those HOAs.

Don loved a good bagel with lox, capers, and red onion; a Beefeater Gibson and a cigar; suits with personality; his two standard poodles; the Country Club of Fairfax and his golf buddies; his crimson Jaguar convertible; chocolate chip cookies with nuts; and dancing with Louise. His lifelong admiration for Jackie Robinson, Brooklyn Dodgers #42 never wavered.

He leaves a legacy that appreciates common sense, hard work, curiosity, flair and a strong sense of self. He had high expectations and a generous, loving spirit. Don will be missed tremendously by those who love him, and we will celebrate our memories of his well-lived life.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Northern Virginia Burial and Cremation Society, and a celebration of life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation, the Prostate Cancer Foundation, or Capital Caring Hospice of Arlington, VA.