Donald Clinton Kingston

Donald Clinton Kingston, 67, of San Antonio, TX passed away surrounded by his family on Friday, February 19, 2016 at the San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC). Don was born and raised in Odessa, TX to Clinton, an oil & gas engineer and U.S. Army Air Corp veteran, and Martha Kingston a loving wife, mother, and artist. Donnie, as his west Texas family and friends called him, was mechanically inclined from a young age and loved working with his hands, building cars and riding motorcycles. Memories from his youth include working with his cousin on his grandpa’s farm in east Texas, enjoying his grandmother’s blackberry cobbler, participating in the 1966 West Texas Student Craftsman’s Fair, and his mother’s chocolate chip cookies.
After graduating from Permian High School in 1967, Donald earned diplomas from the Spartan School of Aeronautics in Oklahoma and the Beech Aircraft Technical Service Training School, married his first wife Deborah Thornton, and lived in Dallas before moving to San Antonio to work for The Dee Howard Co. as an airplane lead mechanic/inspector and line services manager. During the late 1970s and 1980s he worked as a manager and junior engineer in the Metals Engineering department for Chromalloy Turbine Support and married his second wife Kathleen Lopez. In 1989 he began working for Industrial Chrome Plate, Inc. from where he retired in 2014 as the manager of sales, customer service, engineering and quality. He was well-known for his 30 years of experience designing and improving industrial equipment and processes.
Don was passionate about his family and his politics. During his brief retirement he enjoyed riding his Harley Davidson motorcycles and spending time with family and friends. Religiously he made a list every morning, methodically completing and crossing off his day’s tasks. Line items on his list often included calling his children, procuring the necessary materials to complete projects around the house for his wife, taking his meds, and feeding his birds and squirrels.
On Monday, February 15, 2016 he was riding his motorcycle on W.W. White Rd. when he was struck by an 18-wheeler. He sustained massive head trauma and a broken leg. Five days later he succumbed to his injuries with his wife and children at his bedside. The family takes comfort in knowing that his last day had been a good day. He was doing something he loved and his last words were with his wife of 36 years.
He is preceded in death by his parents Clinton and Martha, his sister Laura, and his son Clayton. He is survived by his wife Kathleen, son Clinton, his daughter Courtney Lucek and son-in-law Tom, daughter Tiffany Kingston Morrison and son-in-law Casey, and seven grandchildren Katie, Colton, Bristol, Gavin, Sawyer, Keith, and Madison.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 27 at 3:00 p.m. at Puente & Sons Funeral Chapel, 14315 Judson Rd., San Antonio, TX 78233. The family will begin greeting guests at 2:30 p.m. A reception will follow at the Kingston home. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the BAMC-SAMMC Fisher House at https://donate.fisherhouse.org are appreciated.