Donald Hurlbert

Born October 5, 1926 of Floyd and Neva Hurlbert in Centerville, Iowa. Graduated from East High School in Waterloo, Iowa where he lettered in Band and Track and graduated in 1944 in the top ten percent of his class. He went on to attend DePauw University in the Navy V-12, where he earned letters in track and cross-country, and later transferred to Purdue University in the Fall of 1945. At Purdue he earned three letters in Track, specializing in the two-mile, mile and half-mile runs. He earned 4 letters in cross-country, running the four mile in 20.12 minutes and the three-mile in 13.56 minutes. He was elected to the 1947 All-American Cross-Country Team. He transferred to the Navy V-5 program in January 1946 and soloed at Glenview Naval Air Station; Discharged in April 1946 to Naval Reserve. He returned to Purdue where he graduated with a BSCE degree in 1949. He worked with the Frisco Railroad, the DuPont construction division at the Savannah River Plant, Raymond International Construction in Thailand on highways construction; A year and a half as Asst. City Engineer for the City of Waterloo, Iowa, then Water District No. 1 of Johnson County, Kansas as Chief Engineer. He then worked for Riddle Engineering on Water Plant design and construction for 1-1/2 years. Was hired in the Water Pollution Control Department for the City of Kansas City, Missouri in 1965. He became Asst. City Engineer in 1968 and was promoted to CITY ENGINEER upon the Death of Stanley C. Palmer in 1971.

Completing 21-1/2 years with City he retired in December 1986. During his   tenure as City Engineer the KCI Airport was DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTED, the Kemper Arena was started and completed, Bartle Hall was started and completed, a contract with the Terminal railroad was negotiated and completed for the replacement of 27 Viaducts over their tracks, Brush Creek storm water project was designed to protect the Plaza area and downstream property owners. The Blue River Channel Improvement Project was started. Don helped begin the City’s Safety Program and was named APWA Top Ten Administrator in 1979.
As administrative head of the Engineering Division he developed a rotation plan for training engineering employees in all facets of design, construction and maintenance of public facilities.
At his retirement ceremony the members of the City Council honored him as one of the most knowledgeable employees of the City. After retirement, he remained active with his consultant practice as an Expert Witness in 21 successful cases, an arbiter in construction contracts, programmed Airport Construction plans for KCI, Downtown Airport and Richard Gebauer Airport, and City Engineer for Raymore, Lenexa, and Liberty. A registered Professional Engineer in Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.

Don served in many professional organizations, beginning with AWWA in 1959, WPCF in 1965, APWA in 1965 and ASCE in 1965. He was president of the Missouri State Highway Engineers in 1972, President of ASCE KC Section in 1976-77, President of Engineers’ Club in 1976, President of APWA KC Chapter in 1979, Board Member of MSPE from 1972 to 1980, Shawnee-Mission Optimist Club Member. An Optimist member since 1988, The Worshipful Master of Swope Park Masonic Lodge #617 A.F.&A.M.(two times) and Secretary  Emeritus of the lodge. He was Venerable Master of the Lodge of Perfection of The Kansas City Valley of Scottish Rite, and now a life time member. The MO-ARK organization, of which he served as Executive Director, was his pride and joy. A group of volunteers that fought to protect the Missouri River Valley’s many water resources. They were in close touch with Congressional leaders from 1971 to 1991

He is preceded in death by his parents Floyd and Neva; brother, Vic; son, Dan and great grandson, Jensen. He leaves his sister Joyce Salisbury, wife Judy, 11 children (Jerry, Judy, Jackie, Jenny, Donny, Greg, Mickey, Cindy, Laura, Scott, Brad)  31 Grandchildren and 47 Great Grandchildren. A credit to him from his children is their efforts to further their education. Many of them have completed their college and embarked on professional careers. Several Engineers are among the family. Jerry retired from Geo. Butler and Associates and is now Director of Public Works at St. Charles, MO,   Jenny with Computer Science and Mathematics, Grandson Jeremy Irvine with Parsons with a Masters in Engineering Management, Grand-daughter Michelle Burkhart with a Masters in Wastewater Treatment Plant Design, being a Professional Engineer in Portland ,OR, Grandson Matthew Weeks, Masters in Electrical Engineering, Grandson Judson Weeks, BS in Computer Engineering and Grand-Daughter Heather Hunt with a PhD in Chemical Engineering and now teaches at University of Missouri.
.
A lover of the game of Golf, he once carried a scratch handicap in the City Hall league where he won the League play in 1972 and again in1988. In 1960 he won the AWWA Golf tournament in Miami, with rented clubs and borrowed shoes. He won the APWA golf tournament in KCMETRO played at Overland Park Golf course. He sub’d for his nephew Jeff Salisbury in his plywood company golf tournament and won 1st place in Eugene, OR. He once claimed he bowls his weight and shoots his age in golf. Once an active Table Tennis player he took pride in the team that won the City League and presented the trophy to Mayor Wheeler. He started the Engineer’s Basketball team from within his division’s employees and played B-ball until he was 65 yrs. old. The team played for the City Championship several years.  He played overhand pitch softball and slow pitch softball until he reached the age of 73.

“Make every man-hour count. Work in such a manner that you do the very best you can for your employer. There are 25 work hours in every day if you work efficiently.” These were his credos for all his years of engineering work. He completed 62 years of engineering work before he stopped in 2009.

He will be missed by his large family, cohorts of all employees at Kansas City, Mo; and Cities of Raymore; Liberty, and Lenexa.

---