Donald Gene Downen

Donald Gene Downen made a solo flight to heights unknown on September 10, 2025.

Don was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma on April 28, 1930, the first child of Myrtle and Ray Downen. His sister Betty Marie was born one year later, and sister Linda Rae, 14 years later.

Don attended elementary school and Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a now historic, state-of-the-art facility for that era that had both an indoor swimming pool and indoor shooting range.

Due to the availability of the shooting range, in his freshman year, Don became an avid participant in the sport of riflery often riding his bicycle to school with the rifle slung on his back. He received National Rifle Association highest award in sharp shooting and marksmanship and attained the place of top NRA junior rifleman in the United States and Hawaii and earned recognition in 1948 Who’s Who for Junior Marksmanship.

After graduation from Will Rogers High School in 1948, Don attended Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State University) in Norman, Oklahoma where he was also active in the ROTC rifle marksmanship sport and the National Rifle Association, again winning matches and garnering more National Rifle Association recognition. He later attended Tulsa University.

In 1951 after receiving a draft notice, Don voluntarily enlisted in the United States Air Force to avoid being drafted hoping his dream of being a pilot would be realized.

His first assignment in the Air Force was Lackland AFB in San Antonio Texas. Then on a bus to Sampson AFB in New York where he along with other enlistees were tasked with opening a defunct military base. He also worked in the chaplain’s office and sang in the choir in the base chapel.

After extensive aptitude tests, his next assignment was Lowery AFB in Denver, Colorado where he was schooled in electronics and was later sanctioned to work on the electronics of the iconic B-29 Superfortress.

It was during his time at Lowery that a romance began with Patricia Crouse, a University of Colorado School of Nursing Program student at Colorado General Hospital. Her roommate was a friend of Dons from high school days.

In 1952, Don scored high on the rigorous testing required for flight training and was accepted as a cadet and was transferred to an Air Force sanctioned flight school in Bartow, Florida.

Then on to Foster AFB, Victoria, Texas to fly T-38’s and T-33’s. After graduating from flying school and after a letter a day for two years, he and Patrica Crouse were married at the Methodist Church in Burlington, Colorado. They moved to Craig AFB in Selma, Alabama where Don attended Pilot Instruction School then to Foster AFB in Victoria, Texas. The next assignment was a move to Loredo, Texas with their first son Gregory. While there, Don was a flight instructor in T-33’s for foreign students from France and Holland.

Another son, Scott, joined the family in 1956 and four months later, a new assignment. This time to the Air Defense Command at ENT AFB in Colorado Springs, Colorado where Don flew “Brass” all over the United States and Canada in the Convair 240. It was here in the “Springs” that two daughters joined the family, Deborah and Patrice (Tinker).

During his Colorado Springs assignment, Don was civically involved in the founding of the Colorado Gunslingers Association and was elected to serve as President. His prowess in fast draw shooting competition continued to earn many high honors.

Then came a possible new venture with leaving the Air Force and a move to Burlington Colorado to manage the Montezuma Hotel and in 1962, another daughter, Daphne was born. Don opened a charter flying service - the Montezuma Rent-A-Plane with a Cessna 182 Sklylane four passenger carrier. He ran his charter service out of the old Burlington airport hangar using a dirt runway with no runway lights.

Don was recalled into the Air Force in December of 1962 and the family moved back to Colorado Springs where he returned to his former position of flying “Generals.”

The next assignment was in the Special Air Missions (SAM) squadron in Weisbaden, Germany where he flew many and varied dignitaries all over the European continent. Among many notable passengers was the astronaut, John Glenn.

This assignment was shortened due to the Vietnam War. It was back to the United States in 1966. The family was joined by another daughter, Kelly Anne, and they remained in Colorado Springs for the next few years while

Don prepared for a Vietnam Tour that included Survival School at Stead AFB in Washington State; F-100 training at Luke AFB in Pheonix, Arizona, Counter Insurgency School at Eglin AFB in Florida, Forward Air Controller School, Clark AFB, and Jungle Survival School in the Philippines.

During his Vietnam Tour, he flew in and out of Tan Son Nhat, Binh Thuy, and Danang in Vietnam and was stationed at Ubon, Thailand and Saigon, Vietnam and was engaged in the TET offensive there.

Don returned from Vietnam in 1968 for his final tour of duty at Wright Patterson AFB in Fairborn, Ohio where he was once again assigned to the Special Air Missions (SAM) group.

Before Don retired in 1972, and having earned the highest aeronautical rating in the Air Force as pilot commander, he was offered the prestigious position of flying Air Force One out of Joint Andrews AFB in Washington DC during the Nixon administration; however, because of the logistics of moving a family of six children in the post- Vietnam era, he opted to move his family to Burlington, Colorado where he and his wife Pat opened Downen’s, a ladies apparel store, and the Village Girl, a clothing store for teenaged girls.

In 1975, Don purchased the Montezuma Hotel where he and another helper completely converted the hotel into an Apartment – Retail complex and eventually closed both the Downen’s and Village Girl stores.

Don accepted a position at the First National Bank in 1977 where he served as loan officer and later vice president until a flying position piqued his interest once again.

In 1986, Don accepted the position of flying a Beechcraft King Air for the Northwest Regional Hospital in Goodland, Kansas, transporting specialty doctors from the front range to the outpatient clinic in Goodland.

When his flying days were over, Don continued to manage the Montezuma Apartments until 2023.

Don was ever active in the betterment and development of the Burlington community. He served as Chairman of the Burlington Housing Authority, Chairman of the Burlington Airport Planning Committee, and President of the following clubs and organizations; Burlington Rotary Club, Burlington Chamber of Commerce, Burlington Golf and Country Club, Burlington Community Concert Series. He was a member of the Burlington United Methodist Church and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).

Don was an avid golf player (8 handicap) and played on many golf courses in the United States, Mexico, and Ireland and was an avid reader of many and varied interests including mechanics, golf, guns, and airplanes as well as newspapers and magazines and all of the John Grisham and Tom Clancy novels.

After being airlifted to Denver via Flight- For- Life in early April with a possible broken rib, he was diagnosed with the dread condition of Delirium that never left him. After 5 months of loving care at home, he is now free of days and nights of persistent hallucinations.

Don was given clearance for take-off on his final flight to heights unknown at his home with his family caregivers by his side.

Don was preceded in death by his parents, Ray and Myrtle Downen, sisters Betty (Bob) Craft, and Linda (Larry) Widener.

Don leaves to mourn his wife Patricia Crouse Downen, Sons Greg (Oralia) Downen and Scott Downen, daughters Debbie (Donnie) Davis, Patrice “Tinker” (Kelly) Adragna, Daphne (Bill) Viergutz, and Kelly (Nathan) Brown, as well as ten grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

In memory of Don, be kind and do a good deed for someone in need.