Donald Cornell Mahon, age 91, went home to be with His Savior on Wednesday and August 14, 2024, at Fountain Square Assisted Living, room 171 in Lompoc, California. He was born to his father Cornellius Mahon and mother Thelma Augusta (Mitchell) Mahon.

He leaves behind his wife of 58 years, Mary Kaye (Wilson) Mahon, and stepbrothers; Thomas B. Mahon and Donald Mahon, along with many close friends.

Don was born and raised in Washington, Pennsylvania where he graduated from Washington High School in 1951.

He entered college at Washington and Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania and attended for approximately 1.5 years when before being drafted into the Army in July of 1953 at the very end of the Korean War.  He was a Radio Operator in Washington D.C. in the signal core; 2nd Army, and honorably discharged with the rank of Corporal in June of 1955; having received the National Defense Service Medal.

After his military service, Don attended Waynesburg College, but his mother was looking for a change and they both ended up in Arizona.  Don continued his education by attending Arizona State University in Tempe where he graduated in 1962 with a degree in Mathematics.  From 1963-65 he worked for Goodyear Aerospace Company, as an electronic development engineer working on circuit design, side looking radar circuit development, and mobile ballistic missile systems.  While living in a multiplex unit in Tempe, he met Mary Kaye, through Mary Kaye's sister, Judith Rae Wilson Brewer.

Don soon was working for a company in San Diego, and then began driving on the weekends to see Mary Kaye who was still living in Tempe. She must have been some girl to be driving all that way.  In 1965 on November 6th, he married the love of his life, Mary Kaye in Mesa AZ before returning to San Diego.

To say Don was smart is a vast understatement.  Let me tell you about some of his projects.

In the 1960's Don was a Program Engineer, Research Engineer, and finally a Senior Engineer at Vandenburg AFB.  During that time, he worked on Oceanographic Weather Buoys and Geodesic satellite tracking and orbital prediction programs. He worked on Atlas Missel computer testing programs and supported the Apollo 7 & 8 missions.  In fact, he was on the USNV operated by NASA called the Redstone and was assigned to that ship at sea to support those missions for satellite and manned Spacecraft Tracking and Communication.  While on that ship as a civilian contractor he was receiving data regarding astronaut suits when they orbited the moon.  While on the Redstone they were being followed by Russian Trawlers.  He needed an ID in case something happened to show that he; as a civilian, held the rank equivalent of that of a Captain.

In the 1970's, Don was in Santa Monica as a Program Engineer for the Air Combat Maneuvering Range project for the USAF which was a combat Pilot training course.  In the late 70's Don was an Electrical Design Engineer designing a computer system for Nuclear Power Plants.

In the 80's he worked for General Electric responsible for modifying Susquehana Nuclear power plants 1 & 2 compliance protocols.  He was a test director for G.E. Reactor Protection System qualifications.  He worked on modifications for Nuclear Power plants for La Salle 1 & 2, Zimmer 1, and Hanford 2.

Don was an avid high speed radio operator from his early days in the army, where he and other radio operators worked on one occasion to get needed life-saving medicine to a little girl in South America.  He also was relaying radio messages from loved ones on Thanksgiving and other holidays. In 1983-84 he helped with the America Radio Relay League National Convention held in Santa Maria.  His Amateur Radio call sign operator, W3TON, with an extra class license; which he holds for life.

Also, in the early 80's he earned a pilot's license in San Jose, flying Cessena 150's and 172's, and PA 28.

But Don's proudest achievement was when he became a quiet evangelist to a group of women in a Subway shop in Lompoc, CA.  There was a time when Mary Kaye was called upon to leave Don and go and take care of her mother in Idaho.  During that 2.5 years Don would faithfully go to the Subway shop, providing written out scriptures to them, and telling them about the Word of God.  He gave them special booklets with Bible verses.  Even though Don was an accomplished engineer, he always wanted to be involved in missions.  God gave him that opportunity to be involved in local missions, while Mary Kaye was away tending to her mother.

Those who knew Don, knew he loved His Lord and the Word of God above all else.  Don would put most of us to shame for the sheer amount of the Bible he has memorized.  I asked Don, what was his favorite Bible verse was when I was visiting in mid-July of this year.  And immediately he quoted for me John 3:16; "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him, should not perish, but have ever lasting life."

Don loved Calvary Baptist and was a long time member since June 2005.

A funeral service will be held at Calvary Baptist Church on Thursday, August 29th at 11am.  Viewing will begin at the church at 10:30am.  A reception will follow the service along with a graveside service at 2pm at Lompoc Cemetery.