Obituary of Donald E. Plimpton

Donald was born in Boston on March 4, 1926 to Herbert and Miriam Plimpton. He lived in West Roxbury as a young boy with his parents and his younger brother, Walter. They moved to Hampton Falls, New Hampshire when he was 13 years old. Don spent his teen years in New Hampshire and graduated from Hampton High School in 1940. He joined the Army Air Corps in 1944 upon his graduation, and had aspirations of becoming a fighter pilot, until the war ended in 1945. After the war ended, he came home to New Hampshire and worked as a mechanic. His cars were his main interest, until he met his wife to be, Alice Wiggin. She became the love and attention of his life! Don left New Hampshire and went to Palmer Chiropractic College in Davenport, Iowa in 1948. On his Christmas break, he came home and married Alice in her hometown of Stratham, New Hampshire on December 28, 1948. They lived in Davenport, Iowa while he finished school and their first child, Leslie, was born in November of 1949. After graduation in 1950, they settled in Whitman, Massachusetts where he set up his Chiropractic practice in their newly purchased home. In 1951, their second child was born, a daughter, Kathryn, and seven years later, a second daughter was born, Susan. During the nice weather, Don and Alice would take the family for picnics at the beach in Duxbury. Their love for the beach and ocean grew and together they built a cottage at Saquish Beach in Plymouth, Massachusetts and enjoyed every summer there from 1953 to 2000. He and Alice loved living at Saquish, as and did his children, nine grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. Boating excursions, whether it was a month long trip to Maine, or an afternoon trip to Plymouth for ice cream with the grandchildren was always a special time for him. The Plimptons remained residents of Whitman for close to 30 years after which time Don and Alice relocated and built a home on Silver Lake in Plympton, Massachusetts. When they retired in 1986, they went to West Palm Beach, Florida to escape the New England winters, and returned to Saquish each spring to enjoy the summer and fall seasons in New England. In addition, they spent time traveling through most of the United States, including Alaska, with their 32 ft. camper trailer. One special trip included travel in their rig on a train flat car through the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico. Their children surprised them with a 50th wedding anniversary party in 1998 and many of the wedding party attended that wonderful celebration. It was a memorable occasion and, sadly, one of the last big family gatherings before Alice’s death in 2001. Don’s greatest focus was always on his family, but his other interests included boating, water skiing, reading, helping others with their projects, and automobiles. He had a wonderful collection of photographs of every car he owned. The pictures date back from the early 1940’s to the present. He was an active member of the Tri-Town Lodge in Whitman, Massachusetts, and was Master of the Lodge in 1968. He remained a member for over 50 years. In addition, he was a member of the United Methodist Church in Whitman, and had fond memories of teaching Sunday school there in the 1950’s. Thankfully, his kind, special, and generous spirit lives on in all of his beloved descendants, which is a testament to him. He is survived by his brother, Walter H. Plimpton of Gadsden, Alabama, a sister-in-law, Joanne Plimpton of Gadsden, a son, Leslie E. Plimpton of Plymouth, MA, two daughters, Kathryn E. Bates of Kingston, MA, and Susan R. Sperry of Jaffrey, NH. , nine grand-children, eight great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. Calling hours will be held at the Shepherd Funeral Home 216 Main St. (Rte 106) Kingston MA on Sunday September 26th from 4-8 pm. A Service will be held Monday September 27th at 11:00 am at the Mayflower Congregational Church on Main St. (Rte 106) Kingston MA with a burial to follow at Hillcrest Cemetery Main St. (Rte 58) Plympton, MA. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to Shriners Hospital for Children, 51 Blossom Street, Boston, MA 02114.