Donald Jay Graybill, 78, of Mount Joy, PA, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Nov. 24, 2023. He was the husband of Marilyn Hallman Graybill for 55 years.
Born in Hershey, PA, on Aug. 4, 1945, Don was the son of the late Franklin and Edna (Bennetch) Graybill.
He was a 1963 graduate of Lower Dauphin High School, a 1967 graduate of Penn State University in engineering, and a 1970 graduate of the Air Force Institute of Technology. After college, Don joined the U.S. Air Force. He held numerous key positions for 21 years, serving in various field and command assignments around the world, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. Don and Marilyn then followed God into full-time staff ministry with The Navigators. For over 30 years, he was involved in leading discipling ministries and helping people grow in their personal relationships.
Surviving, in addition to his wife, is four children, Chad (Courtnie), of Hummelstown, Andy (Andrea), of Lancaster, Christy (Dave) Keitel, of Lancaster, and Aaron (Kendra), of Evergreen, CO; nine grandchildren, Gage Graybill, Hannah Graybill, Ben Graybill, Ethan Keitel, Annie Keitel, Lila Keitel, Eli Keitel, Eliza Graybill, and Macy Graybill; four siblings, Ruth Ann, of Fullerton, CA, Dottie (Lynn) Groff, of Dauphin, Frank (Ginny), of Hershey, and Dave (Pam), of Dauphin.
Don was preceded in death by a grandson, Gavin Graybill.
Don was a devoted and beloved husband, father, and grandfather. Vacations with family each year were highlights for Don. He was a favorite cheerleader of all of his 10 grandchildren, attending many sporting events, concerts, and “all things grandchildren.” He wanted to make sure each of his grandchildren felt very loved, special, and affirmed.
Don loved to tinker, typically involving his children or grandchildren. He seemed to be in his element building tree houses, setting off rockets, rock tumbling, building model trains, or assembling model airplanes, just to name a few.
He loved Jesus with all his heart and wanted to share that love with others. No matter where he lived, what organization he represented, what his roles were, or what board he served on, he was always investing in people’s lives. He genuinely cared about people and wanted them to feel valued. He wanted to make sure they knew who Jesus was, how to pursue Him, and how to grow as disciples of Jesus.
Don published two books, “From a Dad … to Those Who Follow—A Journey through Life and Ministry” (2021) and “A Journey from Surviving to Thriving—Experiencing the Fulfilled Life in the Midst of Chaos,” published just weeks before his death. His second book came out of the blog posts he wrote for the last 1.5 years (www.dongraybill.blogspot.com), right up until his death. (Both books can be found on Amazon)
Don attended Cross Roads Church, Mt. Joy.
A visitation and celebration of life service will be held on Jan. 6, 2024, at Lebanon Valley Bible Church (1482 Horseshoe Pike, Lebanon, PA 17042). The visitation will be held from 9-11 a.m., followed by a celebration of life at 11 a.m. and a luncheon afterward. A private interment will be held at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery. The service will be live-streamed on youtube.com/@lebanonvalleybiblechurchau9169 and on Facebook at Lebanon Valley Bible Church.
In lieu of flowers, please feel free to forward contributions to The Navigators, P.O. Box 50740, Colorado Springs, CO 80949, or contribute online at https://donations.navigators.org/s/.
