Donald Jestel

Donald B. Jestel, 78, of Davenport, passed away Monday, September 6, 2021 after a brief illness surrounded by his family in his beloved home.

Funeral services and Mass of Christian Burial for Don will be 10:00 a.m. on Friday, September 10, 2021 at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Davenport. Burial will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Davenport. Visitation will be held from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. Thursday at the Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home, Davenport.  Memorials may be made to St. Alphonsus Catholic Church.

Donald Bartholomew Jestel was born on February 9, 1943 in Dubuque, Iowa, a son of Donald and Anna (Breitbach) Jestel.  He was united in marriage to Geraldine “Gere” Gormley in 1965 at St. Louis Catholic Church, Atchison, Kansas.  She preceded him in death on September 2, 2011 after 46 years of marriage together.

Donald worked in the accounting department with the Department of Defense primarily at the Rock Island Arsenal, retiring in the early 2000’s.  He also worked for five years in Germany where he enjoyed taking his family on many adventures around Europe.

Mr. Jestel enjoyed the outdoors, especially when he was hunting and fishing. He also enjoyed collecting antiques and traveling with Gere in their motorhome and continued to do so after Gere’s passing with his son, J.J. Don coached baseball for many years at West Little League.

Those left to honor his memory include his children, Donald “Bart” (Sibylle) Jestel, Stilwell, Kansas, James Bradley (Solange) Jestel, Margaret Elizabeth “Meg” (Joe) Bitterman; and Jonathan “J.J.” Jestel, all of Davenport; grandchildren, Sean, Benjamin, Jeremy, Audrey and Lucas Jestel, Morgan, Carter, and Jake Mahon, and Kayla and Flynn Bitterman; siblings, Roger (Donna) Jestel, Hilton, New York, Mary Ann Jestel, Bend, Oregon, David (Patricia) Jestel, Davenport, Connie (Tim) Burke, N. St. Paul, Minnesota, Judy (Pete) DeBisschop, Moline, Anna Marie (Lilo) Hurtado, Houston, Texas, and Harold (Lorraine) Jestel, Davenport; aunt Shirley Brimeyer, Manchester, Iowa; and uncle David (Mary Lynn) Breitbach, N. Buena Vista, Iowa, and his faithful canine companion, Jack.

In addition to his wife, Gere, Donald was preceded in death by his parents.