Obituary of Donald R. Vetter

Donald Vetter - "PAN AM PIONEER" Donald Vetter, age 87, of Salem, NH, and previously of Herndon, VA, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving children on February 17th at Greystone Farm at Salem after a lengthy illness. He was predeceased by his wife of 52 years Peggy (Downey) Vetter. A veteran of WW II, Donald served with the Army Air Corps as a weather observer in North Africa and Iran. After WW II he returned to marry his high school sweetheart and graduate from college with a degree in business and began a management career with Pan American World Airways (Pan Am). He and his wife then raised their family in Pan Am assignments that spanned the globe. Donald established the airport in Guatemala City where they lived during the 1954 revolution and then moved to assignments in Miami, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica within Pan Am's Latin American Division over the next 20 years. Donald and his family then moved to Agana, Guam, where he was airport manager during the Vietnam War when Guam served as a critical gateway for military cargo and soldier transport. They traveled extensively throughout Asia. He ended his 30-year career with Pan Am as Cargo Manager at Dulles International Airport. After retirement he was initially publisher of the Herndon Observer newspaper where his wife Peggy was editor and founder. The two published the weekly Herndon Observer for almost twenty years. He also worked as a travel agent with VIP Travel in Herndon, VA. He was active in the Herndon Rotary Club. Donald was an assisted living resident at Greystone Farm in Salem for almost four years where he was loved, admired, and respected for his dry wit and sweet disposition. The heartfelt comfort he received from the staff of Greystone and other caregivers during his final weeks is appreciated by Donald's family more than words can express. He is survived by his son Michael and his wife Mary of Salem, NH; son John Vetter and his wife Cindy of Pflugerville, TX; daughter Gale Grosso and her husband Robert of Port Deposit, MD; granddaughter Terra Vetter of Brooklyn, NY; grandson John Vetter and his wife Christy of Fritch, TX; and great-grandson Ayden, also of Fritch, TX. Visitation and memorial service will be at Adams-Green Funeral Home in Herndon, VA on Friday, February 24th from 4:00-6:00 pm with a brief memorial service in the chapel at 6:00 pm. Burial will be private on February 25 th in Herndon's Chestnut Grove Cemetery. Donations in lieu of flowers may be sent to the Greystone Farm Resident Council Associate Gift Fund, 242 Main St., Salem, NH 03079 or the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) 135 Parkinson Avenue, Staten Island, New York 10305 .