Donald Strube

On March 11, 1930, Don was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to Walter and Mary Strube. He attended Saint Mary’s High School and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Missouri in 1952, where he was a proud member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. Upon graduation, he served our country during the Korean Conflict as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Airforce. Most of his duty was spent at Nouasseur Air Base in Morroco, North Africa.

After his time in the military, Don held positions with the Coca-Cola Bottling Company and Shell Oil in the Midwest, where he met the love of his life, Joan Elizabeth Weir of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. They married on December 27, 1958 and lived happily together for 63 years until his death.

In 1959 Don took a job as a plant manager with a small chemical manufacturer near Centralia, Illinois. He didn't know much about the chemical business but soon learned that the company made “mostly snake oil.” They had a small building where oil-based machine enamel was produced in a 50-gallon tank, so he decided to learn about paint. He borrowed Joan’s Waring blender (a wedding gift) and set up a lab in their kitchen. He would drive to St. Louis on the weekends where a family friend, Mel Caldwell (creator of the Kilz brand,) tutored him in the art and science of paint chemistry.

Don enjoyed the climate while in North Africa, so in early 1960 he and his brother Charlie moved their young families, along with a five horsepower paint mill and a fifty-gallon mixing tank, to Orlando and founded Color Wheel Paints on West Colonial Drive in Pine Hills.

Don was passionate about paint manufacturing, mainly because of it’s complexity. He always loved a challenge. As Orlando expanded, so did Color Wheel. What started in a four hundred square foot building eventually grew into a 100,000 square foot complex on a seven-acre campus. After forty seven years and 75 millions gallons of paint Don and Charlie sold Color Wheel in 2006. They added color to the lives of many with 42 stores and over 400 employees.

Paint was not Don’s only passion, he loved helping others. He belonged to numerous civic and charitable organizations. He moved to Windermere in 1963 and was a founding member of the Windermere Rotary Club, with near-perfect attendance for over 40 years. He helped start the Windermere Little League in 1972 and was honored when the first ball field behind the Windermere Town Hall was christened “Don Strube Field.” He had an affection for teaching children entrepreneurship and in 2005 was inducted into the Junior Achievement of Central Florida Hall of Fame.

His faith always was at the center of his life. Don was a founding parishioner of Holy Family Catholic Church in 1977. He served on numerous committees over the years and truly loved being a Catholic.

Don had boundless energy. When he wasn’t working hard at making paint or helping others he was working hard at having fun. He enjoyed golf, tennis, water skiing, snow skiing, sailing, spearfishing, bill fishing, bottom fishing, and dove hunting, to name a few. He rarely sat still.

He loved the outdoors, especially the ocean. When a friend invited Don to join him on a trip to the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas in 1970, he was hooked. He liked the Bahamas so much that the following year he bought a 21 foot boat with a 90 horsepower outboard. He loaded up his family and left West Palm Beach for the two hundred mile journey, navigating only with a paper chart and a compass. It was the beginning of a fifty-year love affair with the people and the islands of the Bahamas. He and his family eventually purchased a small second home on Elbow Cay in 2000. He loved spending time there, working on improvement projects, spending time with family, and forging strong friendships with island locals.

Don had a natural gift for making friends. He had a self-deprecating sense of humor, never took himself too seriously, and was never in a hurry to end a conversation. He was a child of the Great Depression who had no luxuries in his youth and never forgot that. He was extremely humble. He always looked for an opportunity to offer wisdom to whoever would ask, and lend a hand to someone in need. He was a “regular guy” who sincerely enjoyed being around people. He was a man of earnest integrity who lived an exceptionally moral and ethical life.

Most of all, Don’s life was centered around his family. He was the ultimate husband, father, and grandfather. Most summers were spent with his wife and five kids motor-homing across the country or boating across the sea. He had an everlasting desire to experience and share new adventures with his family. He loved being “Papa” to his grandkids and never complained during the many three-hour-long piano recitals or soccer games with a score of one to zero. His love for his family knew no bounds.

Don is survived by his wife Joan, his children Don, Jr. (Peggy,) Rick (Marlys,) all of Windermere, Susan (Derrik) of Incline Village, Nevada, Tom (Nona) of Palm City, and Tim (Jen) of Stuart, and grandchildren Karlin, Ellie, Anna, Julia, Lindsey, Ashley, Caroline, Lauren, Jolie, Tommy, Everett, and Blake.