Donald Eugene Hewitt

Hewitt, Donald Eugene, 90. Former Cities Service Oil Company Engineer, Antique Collector and Dealer, and Patriarch of family and business Hewitts Antiques passed away Sunday, October 12th, 2014. A memorial service will be held at 2 P.M., Saturday October 25th at Downing and Lahey Mortuary, with a reception for family and friends following the service. Don was born on September 20th, 1924 to Morris and Anna Hewitt of Miami Co. Kansas. His earliest memory at around age 5 was of his father lifting him on top of a wheat wagon and teaching him how to feed crops into a thresher. Dons fond childhood memories included playing with his younger brother, Morris Jr., and sister Peggy. He remembered happy days spent fishing, hunting and trapping with his Grandpa Foster. Don rode a Shetland pony to school and came home to milk cows, feed chickens, hunt for food, and help on the farm. The family income came from corn and hogs and was supplemented by selling milk and eggs. A humble childhood during the depression taught Don to be a saver. He saved everything that could be used further, he saved napkins, he saved rags, he saved nails, screws, hinges, casters, hose nozzles, cans and drawer pulls. Don was a studious child and was good at math. He graduated from Drexel High School near the family farm where he met his wife; Norma. Don moved to Kansas City where he trained as a welder at an aircraft plant. He answered the call of duty in 1942 and was accepted for the Navys V12 program. His hopes to become a pilot were dashed when he contracted a viral illness of the lungs working as a welder and was bedridden for a year. He recovered enough to return to the aircraft plant in 1943. While still working as a welder Don paid a day visit to KU. He left Strong Hall that day enrolled for the upcoming semester. An earnest student, he was successful and studied mechanical engineering. Don played catcher for KU and at 63 he caught the attention of Phog Allen while walking down Jayhawk Boulevard one afternoon. He tried out for the basketball team, but chose to stick with his evening lab scheduled with the school of engineering. He held jobs as a welder, bartender and auction clerk while a student. He saved money that allowed him to visit Norma who was an Army Cadet Nurse in Kansas City on weekends. They got married in October of 1946. Norma worked nights at Lawrence Memorial Hospital and they got their first apartment on Mississippi Street. Don graduated from KU with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1949. He was the first in his family to receive a college education and had the utmost pride in his alma mater. His degree combined with his shop experience and welding background got him a job at Swift and Co. in St. Joseph, MO. He was fascinated with all of the equipment he managed, and liked working with the vast equipment it took to run the largest killing floor in the country. Eager to advance, Don didnt see enough opportunity for promotion at Swift and he left for a career he could improve himself in. Don and Norma moved to Odessa, TX in 1951. Don was hired by Cities Service, where he got experience and advanced very quickly during the boom years. Norma first got pregnant in 1952. They had three children; Grant, Jill, and Gretchen. The promotion Don was looking for came, in Brownfield, TX and then Great Bend, Kansas. He was made “District Engineer;” an unheard of advancement. During this time he was helping Norma with her antiquing business. Don was a master refinisher and during evenings and weekends brought new life to old furniture. He was active in the Brownfield, TX and Great Bend Masonic Lodges; he reached the 32nd degree of freemasonry. As Region Engineering Manager of the Mid-Continent-Northern Region Don moved the family moved to Wichita in 1972. He remained a proud supporter of KU as his children came of college age. He shared fond memories of his education there and encouraged the school to Grant, Jill and Gretchen. All three attended and graduated from KU. Don, Norma and the three kids maintained booths at Quantrills Flea market during this period. He became a benefactor to the KU School of Engineering, and helped to promote KU Engineering to sharp prospective students. He rarely missed the chance to watch a KU basketball or football game, and filled his home and desk with Jayhawk collectables. He was opinionated about coaches and players and never held back on criticism. During his last two weeks of life it brought Don great joy to hear that KU finally fired their 6-22 football coach mid-season. Normas business; Hewitts Antiques expanded to its own store front at 228 N. Market in 1979. Don helped launch the venture in his time off. He collected Cities Service signs, cans, display racks, and service items and displayed them in his office to share with coworkers. He retired from his position as Region Engineering Manager in 1987 after 32 years with Cities Service. He had served as Chairman of two chapters of the Society of Petroleum Engineers of AIME. During retirement he became a staple at Hewitts Antiques. He was a man with an insatiable appetite for a bargain. He patrolled local garage sales like a cop works a beat. He and Norma hustled around estate sales, garage sales, flea markets, and local auctions, always in search of another treasure. No matter how fine the item he could find there was nothing more opulent than finding it for a quarter. He put together an extensive collection of Jayhawks; of all shapes, sizes and materials. He had a passion for fine furniture, petroliana, primitives, fountain pens, rare tools, sporting memorabilia and clocks. In more advanced years Don was a man with a sweet tooth and a docile nature with family, friends and children. He fancied a piece of pie with his noon dinner, and was an authority among antique dealers, nationwide. He spent quality years with his son and grandson while maintaining his chair near the front door of Hewitts Antiques. He denied his napping, but always woke up to greet incoming customers with a “Howdy.” He cherished the care and visits provided by his daughter Jill every week and adored holiday visits and phone calls from his daughter Gretchen and family regularly. Don lost his vision and weakened quickly as his freedoms dwindled. His wishes were that he would someday be able to pass on sleeping in his own home and bed, never having to go to a hospital or nursing home. He was one of the rare few who life ever afforded this comfort. It turns out thats exactly the way he got to go; peacefully in his sleep, in his own bed at home, in the care and company of family. Over the years Don proved a man of dedication to his family. His life will be remembered as one of duty, solidarity, and stability. His strict style of love and support sprouted achievements throughout those around him, which will carry on beyond his life. With that in mind it seems relevant to share a few of Dons secrets as we look back on his life The best and cheapest peaches and maters are at the Kansas Grown Farmers Market on Saturday morning. When you see something at a garage sale youve never seen before; buy it. The bargains at an estate sale are in the basement. Never let a good piece of pecan pie go uneaten. Nothing punctuates a good day like a swig of Wellers and a cookie. Always be the first at the garage sale over on Pershing Street. Make your next vehicle a van. Never let a day pass loafing around the house, instead tend to your duties with a strict routine. Don is survived by Daughter Jill Moore [Husband; Lynn, Sons; Nathan (LaRon ), Tyler (Penny), Clayton, Dwight, and Wesley] of Newton, KS, Daughter Gretchen Holt [Husband; Dave, Son; Austin (Kailey)] of Scottsdale, AZ, and Son Grant Hewitt [Wife; Kim, Sons; (Spencer and Mason(Jade) and their mother Linda Hewitt)] of Wichita. Don is preceded in death by his wife, Norma F. [Laughlin] Hewitt and