Donald Eugene (Don) McCosh, 82 years old, passed away at 12:30 am on December 30th at The Groves Memory Care facility in Goodyear, Arizona where he lived the last four months, after suffering from complications with Parkinsons, Memory loss and finally a fractured pelvis.
Don was born in Scottsbluff and raised in the small, picturesque town of Gering, Nebraska on September 2, 1933 to parents Theodore (Theo) and Helen McCosh. He was the only boy in the typical 1950’s family with an older sister, Joyce and younger sister, Eunice. Before Don’s parents were married, Helen was a young adventurer who traveled to Alaska and taught school for a few years, while Theo put himself through college and sold his only vehicle to purchase and start the pharmacy, McCosh Drug. With his parents’ leadership, Don learned the value of hard work and community service taking numerous jobs his mom had arranged, including some of them for no money to elderly folks in town with little income, because his mom said, “it was the right thing to do”.
Don didn’t approve of bullying. Being the big kid in school, he would stand up against those who made fun of small or challenged kids. In high school, he played center on the basketball team and went onto compete at the State Tournament.
He helped pay his own way through college, graduated with a degree in Pharmacy from the University of Nebraska, then returned home to work for his father in the family drug store. While working at the store, he noticed a beautiful young divorcee who often came in with her two children. One day while she was looking at some cosmetics, Don ensured he waited on the young lady and asked her out for a date. Being a country girl, Ruth had to draw him a map of how to get to her parent’s rural farm. While on one of their dates, Don saved a young boy from drowning, using his lifeguard skills. Don enjoyed socializing and telling stories and this particular story was an important memory in his life that he often told.
Shortly thereafter, he proposed to Ruth. They were married at the Gering Methodist Chapel on July 17, 1966. On their wedding day, as a new husband and father, his new son, Curtis, looked up at him and said “Does this mean I can call you Daddy now?” He reached down, picked him up, and said, “I will always be your Dad.” He took on the role of father to Curtis and Roxane, as though they were his own.
Sadly, Don and Ruth lost a baby boy who was stillborn in June of 1968.
After serving as a Nebraska State Senator, Theo was preparing for retirement and sold the family pharmacy to Don. By February of 1972, Don and Ruth welcomed a baby girl, Andrea, and were planning a new location for their business. By 1974, the new store was finished and they were a successful, complementary team.
At the height of their business, McCosh Drug was a well known anchor of the community serving most of western Nebraska. The McCosh photo department was one of the best in the panhandle; the gift business was second to none; and the pharmacy was very successful, because Don believed in customer service. Don eventually purchased his competitor’s business, Cox Drug, and hired Jim Cox to work a few days a week to maintain consistency with his and Jim’s customers.
Don would sometimes be called in to fill prescriptions on holidays and after-hours. Prescriptions were hand delivered to the elderly or those too sick to come into the store. That work ethic was also encouraged and shared with the children where Ruth and the 3 kids would work on Christmas day evening to prepare for the after Christmas sales.
When Walmart opened in Scottsbluff, Don knew he had to prepare to meet this new challenge. If customers stopped purchasing or charging at the store, Don called them up and asked them why they weren’t trading with him. He truly valued his customers and treated people fairly both personally and in business.
Don sold the business in 1998 to a Texas firm that had to return it a few years later. He then renegotiated and sold the store to a Nebraska chain, where it was sold again to a Gering pharmacist who maintains it today.
Don and Ruth knew how to have fun as well. The neighborhood was full of close-knit families, kids, barbeques and lots of small town memories. They loved parties and rock and roll and although Don was tall and big, he loved to dance. In later years, that dancing evolved into Square Dancing. They traveled and were involved with numerous activities in the Jaycees where members have remained lifelong friends. Don was in the National Guard, the Masons, the Elks, Shriner’s Club, Guardian for Jobs Daughters, and more. He also enjoyed bowling and playing poker with his friends and was a big Nebraska Cornhusker fan. He was very active in the community, performing community service for the Chamber of Commerce and was a member of the Board of Directors for the Platte Valley National Bank.
Don spent the last 15 years of retirement in Goodyear, Arizona with his wife Ruth. There they enjoyed living in an active resort community where Don enjoyed golfing and traveling to Hawaii, Italy, and Alaska among others. Living so close to their children, they have hosted many holiday gatherings. Don had a great love of family and enjoyed spending quality time with his children and grandchildren.
One of the most surprising moments in Don’s life was 4 years ago when Ruth indicated they were heading to the airport to pick something up – it was their Havanese puppy, Chip. He always referred to him as “his best friend.”
Don is preceded in death by a niece, Gretchen Hummel, his mother, Helen (Howe) McCosh, his father, Theodore McCosh, and his son, baby McCosh.
Don is survived by his wife, Ruth (Stone) McCosh of Goodyear, Arizona; son Curtis (husband Philip) of San Clemente, California and grandchildren (Sarah, Abigail, Kaitlyn); daughter Roxane of Los Angeles, California; daughter Andrea (husband Rob) of Scottsdale, Arizona, and grandchildren (Amber, Kyle); sister Joyce (McCosh) Levander of Central City, Nebraska; and sister Eunice (McCosh) Peeks (husband Ed Peeks) of Lincoln, Nebraska.
A Funeral and Memorial Service will be held at the Gering Methodist Church on January 16th at 10:00 am with a reception immediately following where community and friends are all welcome. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Parkinson’s Research Foundation in Tribute to Don McCosh at the following website: www.michaeljfox.org
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