Donald Brooks Livingston

Donald Brooks Livingston of Naples, FL and formerly of Holmdel, NJ was born November 3, 1937 to Margaret and Robert Livingston in Englewood, NJ. He and his younger sister Edith (and his future brother-in-law, Gerald Escala) attended Dwight Morrow High School, Don graduating in June 1955.  His love of airplanes followed a more serious path than those of many young admirers of aviation. By the end of ninth grade Don declared his wishes to become a pilot.

He planned his education by taking challenging classes while balancing demanding sports like football, basketball and track, excelling at all. When scouts for the new US Air Force Academy came to his high school, Don’s grades and athletic skills stood out and he was offered a spot in the first class of the US Air Force Academy in Colorado.

On July 11, 1955, he entered the Air Force Academy at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, CO along with 305 other young men.  At the Academy they received strenuous training including military and flight training, proper etiquette, and participation in sports, all while taking a challenging and diverse academic load.

Four years later, on June 3, 1959, Don and the other 205 remaining cadets graduated from the Academy which had relocated in 1958 to its permanent location in Colorado Springs.  Their accomplishment brought them one step closer to achieving their dreams and set the bar for all cadets thereafter.

At Turner Air Force Base in Albany, GA, he was assigned to a photo mapping mission that would span several years and take him all over the world on tours of duty in Australia, Africa, Asia and South America. He frequently flew a C-130 Hercules over South America, including Columbia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil and Peru.

When he returned to the United States in 1964, he met his future wife, the beautiful and gracious Rowena Powers, a stewardess with Eastern Airlines and then United Airlines.

Don joined the active reserves and Rowena and Don were married at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland in April 1966. He began a job as a flight engineer on a Boeing 707 for Pan Am Airlines. They moved to NJ, eventually settling in Holmdel where he lived for 50 years, raising their three children, Darrell, Rhett and Brooke. In 1986 when Pan Am sold their Pacific routes, Don transferred to United Airlines, where he earned his Captain’s rating. He liked to say that he felt he never worked a day in his life because he did what he truly loved.  His career with Pan Am, United and the US Air Force took him all over the globe, visiting nearly every corner of the world.  On occasion he would bring his family with him on his trips which was a source of great pride for all.

After spending the majority of his career at McGuire Air Force Base with the 732nd Airlift Squadron, eventually becoming the Commander, Don retired as a Colonel from the Air Force Reserve at Wright Paterson Air Force Base in Ohio in July 1989.  He was awarded the Legion of Merit, as well as the Meritorious Service Medal and the Air Force Commendation Medal during his service.  In November 1997, he took his final flight of his career with United as a 767 Captain to San Francisco, with Rowena, their three children and family friend and fellow UAL flight attendant on board.

Rowena and Don were well known for their hospitality. Their friends, classmates, and family were always welcome in their home. Their three children, Darrell, Rhett, and Brooke, shared their parents’ love of adventure and invited their own friends to come to “Club Livingston” as their address was fondly dubbed.

Don and Rowena continued their close friendships with 59ers and their wives. He enjoyed the lifelong friendships founded at the Academy, treasured his friends from Reserve times, the airlines and NJ, and always had time to add yet another friend to his long list.  

Don Livingston’s life beautifully demonstrates that true fulfillment comes from pursuing what you love and sharing that success with those you cherish. 
He is survived by his son Rhett Livingston (Jennifer), daughter Brooke (Jacopo), sister Edith Escala (Gerald), his grandchildren David and Natalie Livingston, Ella and Grace Livingston and Luca and Blake Visentini.  He is predeceased by his wife Rowena Livingston and son Darrell Livingston and his half-brother Robert Livingston III