| By Kalima Drga Abreu (dialup-4.249.90.102.dial1.washington2.level3.net - 4.249.90.102) on Friday, July 16, 2004 - 6:01 pm: Edit Post |
DONALD A. DRGA
(1942-2003)
Donald A. (Don) Drga passed away suddenly October 17, 2003, at his home in Austin, Texas. He and his wife, Linda, retired to Austin in November, 2002, after 28 years of federal government service.
Don is survived by his wife, Linda Maynard Drga; son Todd Drga and his wife, Rachel, and granddaughter, Madeleine, of Austin; daughter Kalima Drga Abreu and her husband, Willi, of Annandale, Virginia; mother May Kafka Drga, Havre, Montana; three brothers: Robert of Wakashaw, Wisconsin; Fred of Ismay, MT; Jim of Big Sandy, MT; one sister, Barbara Drga Chigbrow of Los Alamos, NM. He was preceded in death by his father, Frank Drga, Jr. of Havre, MT, and a brother, George.
Don was born October 5, 1942 in Havre, Montana, and grew up on the family wheat and cattle ranch and attended the first eight grades in a one-room, one-teacher school. He graduated with a B.S. degree in Animal Science from Montana State University where he also did graduate work in Economics.
During 1969-74, Don was owner/operator of a 20, 000-acre ranch near Camiri, Bolivia. In 1970, he married Linda Maynard, a public health nurse from Pennsylvania, whom he met while she served in Bolivia as a missionary.
His government service included eight years with the Peace Corps beginning in 1965 as a volunteer in Bolivia and later as assistant Peace Corps Director in Jamaica and Paraguay and Chief Agricultural Officer in Washington, D.C. In 1981, he was appointed as Agricultural Development Officer for the United States Agency for International Development in the Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean. He served at posts in Washington, D.C. (1981-83); Panama (1983-87); The Gambia, West Africa (1988-93); and Mozambique (1993-95). He concluded his USAID career in Washington, D.C. (1995-2002) while residing in Falls Church, Virginia.
Visitation with the family will be held on Wednesday, October 22, from 11 am–
1 pm. with services following at 3 pm at Weed Corley-Fish Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 4801 La Crosse Avenue, Austin, TX 78739-1702
Arrangements by Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home, 3125 N. Lamar, Austin, TX 78705- (512) 452-8811
You may view memorials online at www.wcfish.com