Don McMillan Waller

Don McMillan Waller, at age 62, went to be with the Lord, from his home in Groesbeck, on Saturday, August 1, 2020.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, August 4, 2020 from 8:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M., with the family being present from 3:00 – 5:00 P.M. in the Groesbeck Funeral Home Chapel.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Friday, August 7, 2020 at the Groesbeck High School Football Stadium (with entry at the north stadium gate only, and social distancing as required.)  Reverend Steve Nance of the First United Methodist Church of Groesbeck will be officiating.   Burial will be private with family only.

Pallbearers will be his nephews, Cash Waller, Mitchell Waller, Drew Waller, Brett Malcik, Brian Lesh and Jeff Lesh.

Don was born July 4, 1958 in Marlin to Jerry Waller and Dixie Sue (Long) Waller. The family moved to many different towns in Texas while he was growing up, due to his father’s career with USDA, and he graduated from Bozeman High School in Bozeman, Montana in 1976.  Don received his Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Technology from Texas A&M University in 1982.

Don met Suzie Forbes, from Long Island, New York, in Biology class at A&M, and after the first night of tutoring, they were inseparable.   Two weeks after they both graduated, Don was united in marriage with Susan (Suzie) Forbes in Kingwood, TX.

Don and Suzie moved to Dallas where he went to work for Hewlett Packard, and they raised their five children in Plano, TX.   The oldest child graduated from Plano Senior High in Plano.  The family moved to Groesbeck in 2007, with the other children graduating from Groesbeck High School, where they were all very involved in athletics.  There were 14 varsity letters, between the five kids, in softball, basketball, football, volleyball, track and powerlifting.  Don and Suzie had been involved in coaching them all their lives, and he was still coaching his granddaughter until the last few days of his life, instructing her on how to hold her bat.   He liked to laugh that watching the granddaughter’s first softball game was like “herding cats.”

Don was the “Voice of the Goats” announcing football games, with his sons, brother, and nephews all in the room spotting for him.    

Don served on the Groesbeck LMC Board for the past ten years, devoting his time to helping the hospital serve the community.   He would have been very proud to learn that all the hard work that he and the Board put into bringing the Dialysis Center to Groesbeck was now coming to fruition with its current groundbreaking.

He was a member of First United Methodist Church in Groesbeck, and served as Lay Leader and Council Leader for many years. 

Just as Don had always coached his children in their various sports, he also coached them spiritually and physically (and referred them to their mom for academic coaching.)  All five graduated college, with four advancing to receive Masters Degrees and with Marc proudly serving in the Limestone County Sheriff’s office with an Advanced Peace Officer’s license. 

Don was a computer guru and also mechanically able to fix anything that they broke (which was fortunate for they did break things.)    His proudest moments were with his children and grandchildren, for he truly loved his family. 

Don was preceded in death by his father, Jerry Waller in 2005; his maternal and paternal grandparents, the Long and Waller families; and his mother-in-law, Kit Forbes in 2002. 

He is survived by his wife, Suzie Waller of Groesbeck; daughter and son-in-law, Kristen and John Marc Curry of Groesbeck; daughter and son-in-law, Megan and Cole Guyer of Amarillo; son, Marc Waller of Groesbeck; son, Kevin Waller of Temple; daughter, Lauren Kate Waller of Temple; granddaughters, Kamryn, Kendall and Kourtney Curry of Groesbeck; his mother, Sue Waller of Groesbeck; brother, Bob Waller of Groesbeck; brother and sister-in-law, Jimmy and Gwen Waller of Belleville; sister and brother-in-law, Carol and Michael Malcik of Belton; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Bonnie and Phil Lesh of San Antonio; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and close friends.