Gault, who put the trees in Falls tree lawns, passes away

Don Gault, who with Bill Lowe was responsible for all the trees in Cuyahoga Falls’ devil strips (aka tree lawns), passed away  Thursday, January 12.

Don Gault

Fittingly, Gault Park in The Falls was named after him.

St. Mary’s High grad Gault was Falls City Council president during his 16 years with that group.

He was extremely active in coaching sports and charities.

Don’s obituary:

On Thursday, Jan. 12, Donald Joseph Gault passed away peacefully after a long illness, surrounded by his family. Don was born June 10, 1930, in Akron, Ohio. Don attended Akron St. Mary’s grade and high school in Akron, Ohio, and was awarded a scholarship to St. Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Indiana, where he attended one year before being drafted by the U.S. Army. Because of the Cold War at that time, he served in France during the Korean War. His outfit won the European baseball tournament. He reunited with his army comrades throughout his life. Don was a councilman for Cuyahoga Falls for 16 years and served as Council President. With the help of his mentor, Councilman Bill Lowe, he introduced legislation for the city to plant trees in the tree lawns. Don’s life work was with East Ohio Gas (now Dominion) where he worked in Marketing and was a resource for builders. Don was a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, served as a Eucharistic Minister, a Knight of Columbus, Young At Heart committee, and volunteered with St. Vincent de Paul to help the needy. He served as President of the Associates of St. Joseph, a support group to the brothers of Holy Cross at Archbishop Hoban High School; Cuyahoga Falls Historic Society and AARP 682. He served as a Big Brother and helped with Ardmore Homes. One of Don’s joys was coaching boys at Immaculate Heart of Mary grade school in track and soccer. He assisted coaching CYO football with the coach, his brother-in-law, Tom Daugherty, at Akron St. Peter’s Catholic Church. Don had artistic talent and created pictures and note cards of Cuyahoga Falls historic buildings and sites.

Preceded in death by his Father and Mother, Ralph Hubert and Anna Gault, and his brother Bob, Don leaves his wife Mary Lou (Daugherty) of 62 years; daughters Peggy (Jeff) Gannon (Hartville, OH); Mary Reagan (Chagrin Falls, OH); Kate Gault (Chagrin Falls, OH); and Eileen (Craig) Burmeister (Phoenix, Arizona); his brothers and sisters Tom (Kathy) Gault, Mt. Vernon, OH; Blanche Fagan, Akron, OH; Mary Charlotte (Paul) Reder, Boca Raton, FL; Ralph (Mary Ann) Gault, Portsmouth, NH; Carol (John) Gambaccini, Akron, OH; and Carol Gault, widow of Bob Gault, Raleigh, NC; grandchildren Ryan (Ashley) Gannon; Brendan Gannon, Maggie (Patrick) Jackson; Matt Deeken; Joe and Caitlin Reagan; Cameron Russell; Nathaniel and Lily Burmeister; and four great grandchildren, Everett, Jackson and Nathan, sons of Ryan and Ashley; and Salem, daughter of Matt Deeken and Chelsea Toth.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Fr. Tom McCann at 10:00 am on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, 1905 Portage Trail in Cuyahoga Falls. The family will receive friends at Immaculate Heart of Mary from 9 to 10 am, and immediately following the funeral in the Parish Community Center. Inurnment will take place at Chestnut Hills Cemetery.

(McGowan-Reid & Santos Chapel, Cuyahoga Falls)