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Colonel Donald Spiece Obituary

Brought to you by Adair Funeral Home Dodge Chapel

Colonel Donald Spiece

Tucson, AZ

March 29, 2013

Colonel Donald Spiece Obituary

Colonel Donald Calhoun Spiece 91, died on March 29, 2013. Born in Big Run and raised in nearby Butler, PA, COL Spiece was a career Army Officer and a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He was an avid hunter, fisherman and gardener. It was a joy for him to have his children and grandchildren in Tucson for the last several years of his life. The Lord will have a special place for him in heaven for his strong faith, belief in Jesus Christ and the goodness he brought to the world. COL Spiece graduated from West Point, Class of June 1943 and served in Czechoslovakia, Austria, and Germany during WWII with the 633rd Tank Destroyer Battalion. He was then selected for the Armed Forces Atomic Weapons Project, Sandia Base, NM as one of the famous "Sandia Pioneers". While in Albuquerque, he married Lillian (Lee) Gorton to whom he was married for over 61 years. As a Major, COL Spiece commanded the 167th Field Artillery Battalion in Alaska. He returned to West Point as an instructor and then attended the Defense Language Institute for French and Arabic prior to his assignment as U.S. Defense Attaché, Tunis, Tunisia. He then served on the Army Staff (Intelligence) and commanded the Division Artillery, 2nd Infantry Division, Korea. Upon returning to the United States, COL Spiece was on the faculty of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. COL Spiece attended the Command and General Staff College, the U.S. Army War College and earned a Masters of Business Administration from New York University and a Masters of International Relations from George Washington University. He is survived by his wife, Lee and children, Sue Danielson, Don Jr., Steve and his grandchildren. COL Spiece will be buried at the Southern Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Sierra Vista, AZ with arrangements by ADAIR FUNERAL HOMES, Dodge Chapel. The family thanks his caregivers, Bernadette, Liz, Melissa, Stephanie and Taylor and the Intensive Care Unit at Tucson Medical Center for their wonderful care. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Casa de los Ninos, 1101 N. 4th Ave., Tucson, AZ 85705 to provide for Tucson's needy children.

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Events

Event information can be found on the Official Obituary of Colonel Donald Spiece.