Donald Sloan Postle

Donald Sloan Postle, 95, of Ithaca, New York, died on November 14, 2017. Don was the son of Ralph Aylsworth Postle and Hannah Florence Sloan Postle. He was pre-deceased by sister Anne Mae Postle, brother Edgar Willis Postle, and wife Betty Jean Robinson Postle. He is survived by children Jan, Jeff, Brian, and Brad; grandchildren Miriah, Kate, Josh, James, and Quinnie; and several nieces and nephews.
Born on July 18, 1922 in Camp Chase, Ohio, and raised on a farm in Hillsboro, Ohio, Don served in the Army Airforce from 1942 to 1945, where he received training in aerial navigation. Don received pilot training at Don Scott field, Columbus, Ohio, after his military service in 1946. He graduated from The Ohio State University in 1950 with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. Don married Betty Jean Robinson on September 21, 1947, and in 1950 moved to northern Wisconsin to enjoy the water and snow and to establish his veterinary practice in the small town of Shell Lake, where he and Betty started a family.
During the years in Shell Lake, among other activities, the family greatly enjoyed their 26-foot trimaran sailboat, the BettyJan, which was a real party boat. The family moved to Eau Claire, and then Madison, Wisconsin where they lived for a period of years in the 1960s. Don received his Master's Degree in Veterinary Science from the University of Wisconsin in 1968. Beginning in the early 1950s, Don facilitated regular group telephone consultations for regional practitioners in northern Wisconsin with faculty members at the University of Minnesota. He was honored as Wisconsin Veterinarian of the Year in 1969 as a result of his developing a continuing education program for practicing large-animal veterinarians.
The family moved to Freeville, New York in 1969, where Don joined the faculty at the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University. In 1975, Don spent a sabbatical year in Tours, France at the Institute Nacional de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA). He retired from the college in 1988 after serving in the Mastitis Control Program and administering the financial aid and scholarship program for the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Don pursued numerous interests over the years including gardening, bicycling, kayaking, canal history, teaching in the Elder Hostel program, and an ongoing dedication to continuing education through the Great Courses program. He brought great pleasure to trick-or-treaters in Freeville by making fresh donuts outdoors at Halloween-time for over forty years. Don is also well remembered for years of demonstrating the making of peanut brittle during the winter holidays.
Don and Betty were active members of the First Unitarian Society of Ithaca for many years. They drew great nourishment from their engagement with the church community. Don will be remembered for his outgoing and exuberant personality, generous spirit, and big heart. He will also be remembered for his passion for education and sharing knowledge with others.
A celebration of Don's life will be held at the First Unitarian Society of Ithaca, New York on December 16, 2017 at 10:00 am. All are invited to gather together and share their memories of this remarkable man.