L. Florence

Moline, Illinois
Donald L. Florence, 79, of Moline, Illinois, well-known Moline teacher, died Sunday, February 1, 2009, in Trinity Pathway Hospice at Terrace Park, Bettendorf, Iowa.
Services are 11 a.m. Wednesday at First Congregational Church, Moline, with The Reverend Allen Mothershed officiating. Burial is in Erie Cemetery. Visitation is 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Trimble Funeral and Cremation Center, Moline. Memorials may be made to the Quad City Music Guild.
Donald Leland Florence was born August 3, 1929, in Erie, Illinois, the son of Edgar and Jennie (Pyse) Florence. He graduated from Erie Community High School, and earned his Bachelors and Masters Degrees from Western Illinois University. He served in the U. S. Army from 1948 to 1949, and married Lois Ann Hawk on June 20, 1959, in Erie.
After teaching and coaching in Erie, Don touched many lives as a teacher in Moline School District #40 for 33 years. He taught English, Speech and Dramatics at Coolidge and Wilson Junior High Schools. After retiring, he taught at Scott Community College for ten years.
He was active in local theater as an actor and director, and enjoyed musical theater, comedy and jazz, and had a passion for fishing. In earlier years, he played basketball and track. He was a member of First Congregational Church, Moline, and Wilson Junior High School Retirees Breakfast Club.
Don is survived by his wife of 50 years, Lois; two children and their spouses, Todd M. and Angela Florence of Rock Island and Elizabeth and Shane Hale of Houston, Texas; and three grandchildren, Katherine and Grant Florence and Adam Hale. He was preceded in death by his parents, a sister, Bette Crandall and a brother, Edgar Florence.
Don?s family invites friends to share a story about him or light a candle in his memory at www.TrimbleFuneralHomes.com.