Donald F. Aschom

Don was born March 24, 1928 in Lacrosse, Wisconsin, to George and Edna Aschom, growing up in the Mississippi River town of Lansing, Iowa. He developed his work ethic early at Aschom Bros., the grocery and dry goods store owned by his father and uncle. But when he finished delivering groceries and loading 100-pound sacks of flour in their warehouse, he found plenty of time for fun – boating, fishing and water skiing on a pair of homemade skis on the Mississippi River.

Don graduated in 1946 from Lansing High School, where he excelled as a baseball and basketball player and played clarinet in the band. He played basketball for Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, graduating in 1950 with degrees in business and education. He served in the U.S. Army in Germany, during the Korean War, as a member of the 43rd Infantry Division Band, following in the footsteps of his father, who served in the U.S. Army Band in World War I.

As Don grew up, he continued to find satisfaction in hard work and joy in the many things he loved – time with his family, who often joined him in his other favorite past-times – attending sporting events and cheering for his favorite sports teams, playing golf, enjoying music and spending time on the water.

Don began his career with the Northwestern University’s Traffic Institute in Evanston, Illinois, before moving to Haslett, Michigan in 1956 to work for the Michigan State University Highway Traffic Center. From 1959 through 1964, Don and his family lived in Saigon, Vietnam, and Madras, India, where he continued to work for Michigan State on a foreign aid contract.

On his return to the United States, Don became director of the Michigan State Insurance Institute, which he led for the following 26 years. A 1998 inductee to the Michigan Insurance Hall of Fame, Don taught more than 65,000 students at MSU and was known as “Mr. Education” in the industry. He was a sought-after public speaker and influential consultant. He retired in 1990, moving with his wife, Betty, to Seneca, South Carolina.

In Seneca, Don did not drop his support of Michigan State football, basketball and hockey. Instead, he added the Clemson Tigers, becoming a faithful fan of their men’s and women’s sports. He also supported the Chicago Cubs, traveling as a boy with his dad, Uncle Walt and cousin Tom to games. His love for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes also dates to his boyhood. Don and Betty returned in 2019 to Michigan to be closer to family.

Wherever Don lived, he joined the Presbyterian church, finding comfort and strength in his faith, particularly in his later years.

As a Christian, Don’s legacy can be found in the way he lived his life, which continues to inspire his friends and family. Here is advice his family remembers:

“Smile.” It’s contagious. Your smile may be the one thing that brightens someone’s day.

“Attitude is everything.” You will make it or break it based on how you choose to see things.

“Make a decision and make it work.” Be committed to your goals.

“A clean car is a good car.” Always take care of your stuff.

“Always say hello to the janitor.” Everyone is worth your time, gratitude, and respect.

“The best time to be ahead is at the end of the game.” Anything can happen. Don’t give up.

Don is survived by his wife, Betty, his son Ken and his wife Linda, daughter Gail Hicks and her husband Stan, and daughter Jan Rich and her husband Ciney. In addition, he is survived by his sister, Mary Longley and her husband, Bill, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He is also survived by stepdaughter Liz Thompson and her husband Mark, step daughter-in-law Shannon Anderson and four step grandchildren and five step great-grandchildren.

He is predeceased by his first wife and mother to his children, Sally, sister Ruth Lowell and her husband, Payson, and stepson Gregory Anderson.

A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date. If interested, contributions in Don’s memory may be made to Tunnel to Towers Foundation (t2t.org), St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (stjude.org), Michigan State University Spartan Fund (spartanfund.net) or Hospice of Lansing (hospiceoflansing.org).