Donald H. Range, 96

April 19, 1929 to December 25, 2025

Donald was born at home in Cary, Illinois on April 19, 1929 to Henry and Elsie Range, the eighth of nine children and the last to pass away. His family moved to Woodstock by the 1940’s where they worked a small farm. Money was tight and Don said he walked in the door of the high school and right out the back and went to work. In 1948, Don met his bride, Irene Kaminski, at a roller rink. They married on April 22, 1950, remaining together until her passing in May, 2020 after they celebrated 70 married years together.

Don was a Korean War vet, and worked in the trucking industry until 1989 when he took early retirement. Although his freight hauling job meant long hours, he did his best to get back to Woodstock in time for the activities his children were involved in where he umpired baseball games, cheered at swim and cross country meets and looked entirely out of place at Sock Hops as a chaperone. He had a soft spot for all animals and thought the world of his neighbors’ grandchildren who referred to him as “Mr. Don”.

Don was a handy guy around the house during the winter when the golf course was closed…until he found snowmobiling in the early 1970s. He was a mechanical guy: Before all ‘that computerized crap’, he was able to lay a hand on the hood of a car and know exactly what it needed to get back onto the road.

His activities with the McHenry County Sheriff’s Snowmobile patrol and Woodstock Snowmobile Club led him and Irene to Eagle River Wisconsin where he led snowmobile tours for several years and was active in the local Snowmobile club.

In 2009, Don and Irene returned to Woodstock where they had new friends and old, going to the Moose Lodge and other local restaurants on a regular basis. After Irene passed, Don continued the tradition as a regular at the Moose where he was a Life Member. He golfed with the Crystal Woods Men’s senior league from 2010 to 2022 when he decided that 94 was old enough to stop getting up that early on Monday. He passed peacefully at home on Christmas evening.

Don is survived by daughter Diane (Richard) Magnuson, many nieces and nephews and number of cherished friends.

He was preceded in death by his bride Irene, his parents and siblings, and a son, Steven.

A Visitation/Memorial will be at McHenry County Memorial Park in Woodstock, Illinois on January 2, 2026 at 11:00 am.