Donald Krenkel

Donald Charles Krenkel April 30, 1931 - February 21, 2022 Don was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of LaVerne and Ruth Krenkel.He leaves behind his sister, Shirley Krenkel Reid, two daughters, Sharol (Marc) Wilcoxen and Liza Weldon, both living in Connecticut, as well as two grandchildren, Andrew (Lindsey) Wilcoxen of Florida and Rick Wilcoxen of Connecticut and one great granddaughter, Maeve Shannon Wilcoxen of Florida, as well as many close friends. He is predeceased by his parents, his wife Sharlene, and his daughter Shannon. Don never met a stranger and he could brighten the day of everyone he came in contact with. Kansas City barbecue and Johnny Walker Black were two of his favorite extravagances. During his childhood he and his family moved several times, settling in various Kansas towns including Cawker City and Simpson, and eventually moving back to Kansas City, Missouri. Don told some great adventurous stories about growing up during the depression and during World War II. Don graduated from Westport High School in Kansas City in 1947. He earned a degree in Mathematics from University of Missouri Kansas City and joined the United States Air Force. He met and married his wife, Sharlene Weldon, at the beginning of his Air Force career, and they travelled to various locations where he was stationed, including Texas, California, and Alaska. After his honorable discharge from the Air Force, he and Sharlene settled in Kansas City, Missouri where they raised their three daughters,. He worked as a metallurgical engineer at James Weldon Labs in Kansas City for many years. He earned a masters degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Kansas (go Jayhawks!). In 1975 he and the family moved to Jupiter, Florida for yet another adventure. He later returned to Kansas and worked for MAC Fasteners in Ottawa, Kansas. He moved to Connecticut in 2011 to be closer to his daughters and grandchildren, and was living in Connecticut when he passed away. A celebration of life will be held in Connecticut. Please reach out to the family if you are interested in attending. A military funeral service will be held in the greater Kansas City area at a future date. Donations to the Michael J. Fox Foundations in Don’s memory will be gratefully accepted.

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