A memorial service celebrating the life of Dr. Don Quinn will be held 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008, at the Chapel of Cox Funeral Home in Bastrop. He succumbed to Alzheimer's Disease at age 89 after spending the last three and a half years in the Northeast Louisiana War Veterans Home in Monroe. Father Ned Head will officiate the ceremony, which will be preceded by a visitation with the family beginning at 1 p.m.
As a young child Dr. Quinn moved to Bastrop with his parents and called it home thereafter. Although he would engage in family travel, he was known to say that everything he needed was right here - he truly loved his hometown. He graduated from Bastrop High School, attended Northeast Louisiana State College in Monroe and received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Loyola University in New Orleans in 1953. He practiced dentistry in Bastrop for 28 years, retiring in 1981 to become the devoted companion to his grandson, Zack, who helped him with innumerable projects, not the least of which was the serial construction of backyard tree houses. In time he would become his granddaughter's "servant" as he laughingly described his role. Meg spent many hours in Paw's company drawing, talking and playing the piano. As evidence of his positive influence in their lives, Zack is now an architect and builder, while Meg is pursuing a degree at LSU which features graphic art.
Stationed in North Africa during World War II, Dr. Quinn piloted his P-38 fighter, known to the enemy as the "fork-tailed devil," on 61 combat missions in the Mediterranean Theater. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with 9 Oak Clusters "for extroidinary achievement in aerial flight in the North African Theater" and the Euorpean, African, Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with Two Bronze Stars.
Upon return to the states, he became a Flight Commander for P-38 instruction in Bryan, Texas, and qualified in the first Army Air Corps jets.
After his discharge in August 1945, Dr. Quinn returned to his beloved Bastrop and became engaged to the daughter of a local physician, Dr. Smith I. Sims, and his wife, Orga. This was the beginning of what Dr. Quinn's sister-in-law, Marjorie, referred to as a 59 year romance between Don and Mary. They were both life-long members of the First Baptist Church where they were married in October 1945. Dr. Quinn served as an ordained deacon and taught Sunday school there. With the assistance of Vivian Stuart and Elva Greer, he conducted Sunday services at Summerlin Lane Nursing Home for 10 years before becoming disabled with Alzheimer's Disease. He was active in the Gideon ministry for many years as well.
Dr. Quinn was preceded in death by his parents, Don and Eva Mae Quinn; his wife, Mary Sims Quinn; his sister, Lillian Quenan and her husband, Bill; his sister-in-law, Dr. Marjorie Sims Snyder and her husband, J.B. Snyder.
He is survived by his son, Dr. Buddy Quinn, and his wife, Mitzi; granddaughter, Meg; grandson, Zack, and his wife Jen; and great-grandchildren, Lilly and Hudson; niece, Patti Kelly; nephews, Bill Quenan, Gary Quenan, Steve Quenan, Dr. Jerry Snyder and Mike Snyder.
The family is indebted to the staff of the Northeast Louisiana War Veterans Home for the kind and gentle care of Dr. Quinn in the last three and a half years of his illness. In lieu of flowers the family request memorials be made to the Veterans Home, 6700 Hwy 165 North, Monroe, LA 71203, c/o Karen Evans, CFO or the First Baptist Church of Bastrop.
