Donald Thomas Beelow left us peacefully on May 13, 2024. He was 75 years of age and at his home in Des Plaines, Illinois. He leaves a large family behind: his wife, Barbara; his four children, Jason, Ryan, Garrett, and Dustin; his daughter-in-law, Sara; and his two grandsons, Jace and Bryton. He is also survived by his sister-in-law Mary and numerous nieces and nephews, cousins, fellow musicians, and friends.
Don was possessed of an ardor for music, food, spirited conversation, and above all, the family and friends with whom he shared his life. His passion for musical performance endures through his four children, all of whom followed in his footsteps as accomplished drummers and artists of assorted disciplines. None who knew him could deny the infectious zeal with which he shared and experienced music - the celebration of art is seldom personified in such a genuine man.
This fervorous creativity was colored by a fascination with the paranormal and the weird; UFOs and Bigfoot hobbyism, building “robots” out of RC cars with his kids, neo-spiritual mysticism, and less strangely, the simple joy of a bag of chips and a familiar movie. He was often found in the garage building contraptions of various kinds, furniture with varying degrees of success, and experimenting with (possibly ill-advised) explosives on the 4th of July.
Among Don’s proudest achievements was witnessing his father’s entry ceremony to the Concertina Hall of Fame in 1992, continuing a proud family tradition of musical excellence and commitment to the communities in which they were raised.
Enchanted as he was by the arts, Don was also a deeply principled man, refusing to compromise his values in the face of overwhelming odds - for better and worse. He dutifully supported his family through contract work as a Technical Business Analyst, participated at his local church, and continued performing with his bandmates until the end. In every meaning of the phrase, he marched to the beat of his own drum.
Don was born in Chicago to Carmella DeFranco and Albert Beelow with siblings Janice and Albert, all of whom predeceased him. Don served in the military from October 19th, 1969 to May 4th, 1972, and was decorated with a National Defense Service Medal and recognized as a Sharpshooter (Rifle M-14).
A Memorial Visitation will be held at Oehler Funeral Home 2099 Miner St, Des Plaines on Saturday, May 25, 2024 from 10 am to 11 am, following a Celebration of Life Service at 11am.
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