Obituary of Donald Wray Marshall

Mr. Donald Wray Marshall, 87, died peacefully in his sleep on Monday, March 18, 2024, at his home in Lake Worth, FL. Born on May 11, 1936 in Mt. Airy, NC, he was the son of the late Sam Marshall, Sr. and the late Evelyn Wray Marshall. Donald Marshall grew up with his four siblings in Mt. Airy and Elkin, NC and Philadelphia, PA. As a boy, he was active in the Boy Scouts, loved hiking and camping in the Great Smoky Mountains, and developed an adventurous spirit. Inheriting an aptitude for tinkering from his father, Mr. Marshall graduated from Campbell College (now Campbell University), in Buies Creek, NC, and completed a DeVries University correspondence course in electronics.

He was the service manager for a television and appliance store in Sumter, SC, before starting a long career as a technician for the 3M corporation. Serving accounts throughout South Florida as a 3M troubleshooter, Mr. Marshall specialized in the installation and servicing of MRI, PET, and other imaging machines for hospitals, as well as security systems for libraries. Possessed since his teen years by a lifelong passion for boats and airplanes, Mr. Marshall served as Commandant of Cadets for the Civil Air Patrol at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, SC. He was a master sailor and avid fisherman in Palm Beach County, FL. He is remembered fondly also for a love of music (from Debussy and Beethoven to the Eagles and Stevie Ray Vaughan), a talent for lively storytelling, the pleasure he took in reading history and historical fiction (particularly about the Age of Fighting Sail), and his immense capacity for enjoying life alongside his friends and family.

Don Marshall was predeceased by his parents; eldest son, Stuart Marshall; first wife, Vicky Sue Lewis; third wife, Nancy Deal Marshall; sisters-in-law, Betsy, Aleane, and Jane Marshall; and brother-in-law, Earl Brewer. He is survived by his brother, Sam Marshall, Jr. (Ruth); sister, Deanna Brewer; brother, David Marshall, Sr.; youngest brother, John Marshall, Sr.; second wife, Kyong Cha Kim; daughter, Natalie Marshall; son, Mark Marshall; stepchildren, Patrick Mullins (Corinne), Maria Pugh (Willard), and Tina Westine (John); grandchildren, Aerin Landress (Kevin Ready), Justine Marshall, and Justin Marshall; step-grandchildren, Shir Bloch, Jonathan Bloch-Mullins, Chloe Pugh, Willow Pugh, Grayon Westine, and Marin Westine; great-grandchildren, Averie Carrara and Noah Bogdanski; and his nieces, nephews, other relatives, and dear friends.

The family will receive Mr. Marshall’s friends and loved ones at Thompson Funeral Home on Friday, April 5^th, at noon, with a funeral service beginning at 1:00 pm. Thompson Funeral Home is located at 845 Leesburg Rd., Columbia, SC. Internment will follow at Elmwood Cemetery and Gardens, 501 Elmwood Ave., Columbia, SC.