Donald Graybill Van Artsdalen

Donald G. Van Artsdalen passed away peacefully on July 27, 2026, at the age of 95. What a span of history one man can hold. Born October 20, 1930, in Clifton Springs, New York — the year they broke ground on the Empire State Building, with the Great Depression settling over the country — he entered a world that would transform almost beyond recognition during his lifetime.

Don grew up the son of an Air Force chaplain, George Clayton Van Artsdalen, and Reba May Van Artsdalen. A childhood spent in upstate New York and later life in Texas left him equal parts northern directness and southern ease. He came of age during World War II, served four years with the Air Force Band of the West, and later graduated from the SMU Banking School — building a career defined by prudence and integrity.

He witnessed the invention of television, the dawn of the internet and, somewhere along the way, he even learned how to do email.

That was Don: the world kept changing, and he kept showing up.

He was the beloved older brother to Joy Labonte and Jacqueline Rossiner, both of whom preceded him in death. He was also preceded in death by his first wife, Adrienne Dhossche, and his son, Douglas Van Artsdalen. He is survived by his devoted wife of many years, Gloria, of San Antonio, Texas; his daughter Donette Sis and her husband Mark; his son Derek; his grandchildren Brittany Philipsen and her husband Jonas, and Zachary Sis and his wife Nicole; and his four great-grandchildren, Dexton and Raeleigh Sis, and Theo and Heiko Philipsen.

He was not a man of grand pronouncements. He showed his love through steady presence — showing up, doing the work, never asking for credit. He lived by a code that didn't require an audience: do right, stay humble, and leave things better than you found them.

From the Depression to the digital age, Don Van Artsdalen lived through nearly a century of change and met it all with quiet grace. He will be deeply missed.

A private service will be held at Sunset Memorial Cemetery.