1939-2024
Donald E. Conklin, Jr. (“Don”), 85 of Eden, New York, passed on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, following a sudden illness.
Don was born in Hamburg in April 1939 to Donald E. and Elise (Anderson) Conklin. He graduated from Hamburg Senior High School and earned his Associate of Applied Science from Alfred Agricultural and Technical Institute and his bachelor’s degree in industrial arts from the State University College at Buffalo, where he met his sweetheart, Carol Weber. They married a few years later in 1967.
With an interest with Ford cars, Don worked as a customer service representative with the Ford Motor Company and then with National Fuel Gas Company in various management roles for more than 29 years. He retired in 1996.
Don was known far and wide for his love of antique cars, building his first Model T (1923) in his teens, followed by a 1919 Model T Touring car, a 1926 Model T Speedster and a 1929 Model A Roadster, all of which he meticulously cared for over the years. He had been a decades-long member of the Model T Ford Club of America, Model T Ford Club International and the Antique Automobile Club of America, as well as the Model A Ford Club of America and the Niagara Frontier Region Model A Restorers Club since the early 1990s.
Don is survived by his wife Carol (Weber) of nearly 57 years, children Donna (Alan) Shaults of Chicago, Ill., and David (Anne-Marie) Conklin of Raleigh, NC, and three grand children Alex Shaults and Victoria and Evan Conklin, as well as sister Ann (John) Unruh of St. Louis, Mo. He is the proud uncle of 7 nieces and nephews, with their spouses and children.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at the UnitedMethodist Church in Hamburg on Saturday, July 13, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. Donations to Hamburg United Methodist Church,Wings Flight of Hope or St. Jude Children’s® Research Hospitalwould be graciously welcomed in lieu of flowers.
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