Don T. Zachritz

Don was born Jan. 4, 1937, in Oklahoma City, and grew up attending Linwood and Gatewood elementary schools, Taft Junior High School, and Classen High School, where he graduated in 1955. He enrolled at the Univ. of Oklahoma, where he was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity, and earned his B.B.A. in accounting in 1960.

Don married Carolyn Thompson, his high-school sweetheart, on April 16, 1960, at First Christian Church in Oklahoma City.

He was commissioned into the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant and retired from service as a lieutenant colonel, including service in the U.S. Army Active Reserve for 22 years as a Finance Officer.

He went to work for the local accounting firm Billups, Arnn & Mascho before joining Dulaney’s Inc., the state’s distributor for RCA and Whirlpool products, in 1965. In 1989, on his 52nd birthday, he bought the company.

That’s what Don did for a living. His life, however, was dedicated to serving his family and his community. Together and individually, Don and Carolyn have supported many nonprofits and scholarships in and around the Oklahoma City area.

Don was most active in support of the Oklahoma Zoological Society, serving as a lifetime board member, a trustee, and earning the Volunteer of the Year award. Visitors to the OKC Zoo now enjoy blooming azaleas in a garden created (by Carolyn) in Don’s honor. Don never missed a chance to pet the elephants, his favorite exhibit at the Zoo.

His community service was richly diverse: the boards of the Science Museum Oklahoma, Inc., Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, Inc. (where he funded scholarships and was honored with the John Kirkpatrick Award in 2016); the American Red Cross, the board, council, and endowment committee of Our Lord’s Lutheran Church; the alumni board at Classen High School, where he created the Classen ’55 Scholars, funded by his graduating class; the Committee of 100, supporting OKC police and fire personnel; and the boards of Kirkpatrick Bank, the Community National Bank of Okarche, and serving as Chairman of the Board at Memorial Bank.

He was especially active in support of the Univ. of Oklahoma, serving on the board of Bizzell Library (named for Carolyn’s grandfather), the Board of Visitors for OU’s Price College of Business, and the school’s Quarter Century Club. He was the underwriter of many OU scholarships, and the school bestowed on him both a Regents Alumni Award in 1999 and a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2019.

Friends, family, and colleagues remember him chiefly for this body of service — especially for its selfless, sincere profile. “People might have criteria when it comes to deciding how to give to a good cause,” he once told the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, another faithful cause of his. “For me, my approach to giving comes from my heart. I try to find things that touch me, and then I support that organization financially and in person.”

A spirited, affable fellow, Don loved the arts, especially music. He loved to sing, often breaking into spontaneous song, and he contributed as a church cantor. He was a longtime member of the Charlie Russell Riders, a group of philanthropic outdoorsmen.

Don always put his family first. He was loyal, generous, patriotic, and a hard worker — a man who embodied the 12 principles of Boy Scout law (and, yes, he supported that organization, too, as the “The Voice of the Mighty Eagle” for Boy Scout Troop No. 193).

Don is survived by his loving wife, Carolyn; daughter Anne (Jane Ann); son Jeff (Autumn) and granddaughter Annie; son David (Daniel); as well as many nieces, nephews, and other extended family. He was predeceased by his parents, C.P. (Neal) and Clara Zachritz; and brothers C.P. Zachritz, Jr. and Roger N. Zachritz.

The family is especially thankful for the care of Integrity Home Health, Leigh Bloskovich and SSM Hospice.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts are encouraged to the Oklahoma Zoological Society (2101 N.E. 50th St., OKC, 73111; ozsgiving.org), Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, Inc. (1727 N.W. 16th St., OKC, 73106; lyrictheatreokc.com), and the Classen ’55 Scholars (c/o Oklahoma City Community Foundation, 1000 N. Broadway, OKC, 73102; occf.org).

A service honoring a life well-lived is scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday, March 15, 2024 at Our Lord’s Lutheran Church, 2900 W. Hefner Rd. in Oklahoma City. He will be interred at Rose Hill Burial Park.