Donald Byron Woolsey

Donald Byron Woolsey was born on February 7, 1939, in Independence, Missouri, to Byron J. Woolsey and Anamay Moore Woolsey. The oldest of four siblings, he is survived by his sisters Barbara J. White and Patricia G. Duncan and his brother Gary Lee Woolsey.

Don spent his early years in the family home built by his parents, surrounded by a close-knit circle of uncles, aunts, and cousins in a suburban neighborhood. The family also enjoyed weekends and vacations at their lake home on the Lake of the Ozarks, where he developed a lifelong passion for fishing and water sports.

He served in the U.S. Army from 1961 to 1963. In July 1964, he married his soulmate, Joyce, and they shared 61 devoted years together until his passing on March 8, 2026, following a long struggle with Alzheimer’s. His greatest love was reserved for his two daughters, Laura Lowry (husband Jason Lowry) and Amy Gillman (husband Joe Gillman), and his four cherished grandchildren, Alec Lowry, Gwyneth Lowry, Julia Brooke Gillman, and Alexis Gillman.

Don spent his career in printing and graphic arts, retiring in 2007. In his free time, he cherished fishing trips across the country and looked forward each year to tournaments with his longtime friends. For several years he collected large quantities of fishing tackle and equipment to support youth programs that introduced children to the outdoors and the joys of fishing.