Donald Robert Sloan died in Bradenton, Florida on March 12th, 2024 at the age of 83. Donald is survived by his daughter; Kimberly Joy Coonce and son-in-law, Rick Coonce of Lone Jack, Missouri; his granddaughters, Katherine Marie Groves and Kelly Nicole Coonce; his two sisters, Barbara Jean Kogut and Patricia Joyce Dyer and brother-in-law, John Dyer; 2 nephews, Mark and Christopher Kogut and four nieces; Dr. Kelly Kogut, Amy Klempay, Arwyn Kogut and Bailey Massari.
Donald was born in Utica, New York on March 18th, 1940 to Joseph J Sloan and Mary Margaret Sloan (Pedergnana). He graduated from Utica Free Academy in Utica, New York, where he spent most of his childhood. Many weekends were spent waterskiing at the family's cabin in the Adirondacks and, as a child, he developed a lifelong love of cars and model trains.
At the age of 21, he enlisted in the US Army and did Basic Training in Ft. Bliss near El Paso, Texas. He then served two years in Germany during the Vietnam War as an Electronics Surveillance Specialist. He returned to upstate New York where he met and married Karen Hall.
Their daughter, Kimberly, was born while they lived in New York. He attended Mohawk Valley Community College in 1967 for Art Advertising and Production and later graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Syracuse University.
In the early 1970's, he began his long career in Law Enforcement. First he was trained and spent a year as a Sky Marshal with Pan American World Airways flying out of JFK to Europe.
Then he began working as a Federal Agent in the ATF Bureau and was stationed in Washington D.C. He had specialized training in Explosives and Criminal Investigations and even worked as a Secret Service Agent guarding President Ford.
Eventually, the family moved to Delaware, where he continued his career and they enjoyed sailing on the Chesapeake Bay every weekend in their boat, the West Wind.
Donald and Karen's marriage ended after seventeen years and Donald began an early retirement in Bradenton, Florida. He was an artist and enjoyed painting, even showing his artwork at galleries in NY and DC in the 1990's.
He also enjoyed traveling, tennis, golf and snow skiing and was always around water, owning a succession of boats. He enjoyed time with his family and always encouraged his daughter in her passion for flying.
His wanderlust and adventurous spirit has been passed down to his daughter and granddaughters. He was loved and will be missed by his family and his many friends in Florida.
A funeral service is scheduled at Woods Chapel Methodist Church in Lee's Summit, MO on April 9th at 10am. The family will also travel to Sarasota National Cemetery where he will have a
military burial on April 15th at 12:30pm.
