Donald N. Mings
July 29, 1935 – March 3, 2012
This giant of a man left this world with the knowledge that he had fought the good fight to the very end and that during his life he had achieved remarkable success as a much loved husband, a greatly respected father, a truly committed community leader, a very effective government executive, and a true friend to many. Showing an indomitable steel will, Donald fought a brave courageous battle with Multiple Myeloma for the last six years. Also having Amyloidosis, Donald had to endure chemo continuously for those years; he was currently in his 68th round of nonstop chemo. Worse than the chemo was the MWF dialysis he also faced during that entire time. He met each medical emergency, surgery and broken bone with incredible courage, determination & grace. He outlived everyone’s expectations; his doctors, neighbors and friends referred to him as “the Miracle Man.”Donald was in the Senior Executive Service for the last 14 years of his 36 year career with the Federal Government. He was the Regional Commissioner for the Kansas City, San Francisco and Seattle Regions which entailed being responsible for all Social Security offices in the 12 western states within those regions. His position was the military equivalent of a 4 star General. Donald was Management’s Deputy Chief Negotiator for the first Social Security National labor contract with AFGE. He received innumerable Awards and Citations for his Outstanding Performance and Leadership during his career. Donald had a B.S. and a M.S. degree and was a trained mediator.Donald was elected Chair of the Federal Executive Board in the San Francisco Bay Area and again in the SeattleRegion. In that capacity, he was also in charge of the CombinedFederal Campaign (United Way) for all Federal Agencies in Kansas City, San Francisco and Seattle.Donald was very proud to be a Rotarian and served on the Board of Directors for the 200 member Bellevue Rotary prior to becoming ill. He also served on the Board for the Summit Homeowners Association and was Chair of their Architectural Control Committee for many years.Donald was born in Illinois and taught history in High School before beginning his federal career. He married Suzy Schmidt in Kansas City in 1985 and moved shortly there-after to San Francisco. He has been residing in Bellevue WA since 1991. In addition to his wife, Donald is survived by his son John Mings (Anne Marie) of Orlando, FL, daughter Patti Reno (Tim) of Overland Park, KS, daughter Stacey H. (Jeff ) of Spring Hill, FL, and 4 grandchildren: Nicole Dykman (Ben), Andrew Reno, Ellianna H. and Baylee H. He also leaves behind a very distraught 2½ lb Yorkie, Tush, who spent the last six years on Donald’s lap. A party to celebrate Donald’s life will be held at the Summit Clubhouse on April 15th. Please visit the webpage set up for Donald on the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundations’ website and write a “Tribute” to him in the guestbook, and / or contribute to the MMRF in lieu of flowers. http://support.themmrf.org/goto/donaldmingsDonald truly was an inspiration to many; those privileged to have known him have benefited from that association. He touched so many and has left this world a better place.
