Donald Raymond Moler

Donald Raymond Moler, a researcher and inventor, died on July 20 at the age of 90. Born in Girard in 1930 and raised in Niles, Donald attended Jefferson Elementary and Washington Junior High and graduated from Niles McKinley High School in 1949. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1951 where he served on the destroyer USS TURNER, DDR 834 and attained the rank of 2nd Class Boiler Tender. He later attended Valparaiso College in Indiana, studying electronics.
Don had an impressive career in the fields of communications, electronics and physics: at Goodyear Aircraft he worked on the Mace and Matador missile program, at Hamner Electronics he designed high energy field test equipment, at RCA he contributed to the Nimbus weather satellite, at Yale University he supported the research of some of the greatest minds in the physics department including Nobel Prize winner Willis Lamb and William Bennet, at Bell Laboratories he pursued plasma research in connection with the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactors at Princeton University and MIT. Upon returning to Ohio, he worked at Magnetic Analysis where he invented ground breaking testing systems that saved the company millions of dollars.
Don was active in politics at the local and national levels, and had many hobbies including ham radio, inventing, fishing, the Trumbull Canoe Club, camping and spending time with family and friends. He had a passion for learning and for passing what he learned on to others. He was a great teacher, inventor, builder and fixer of all things big and small. Don worked hard but never forgot to have fun. He learned to scuba dive and skydive. He loved to skate, fly kites and build and fly model airplanes with his kids. His lifelong passion for learning and creativity touched everything he did and everyone he knew.
He was predeceased by his wife of 44 years, Judy and his brother Lewis and sister Tracene. He is survived by his brother Lawrence, his sisters Phyllis Jobes and Kathleen Kozora, his children Gary Moler, Eric Moler, Nancy Moler, Jeffrey Moler, Donna Hall, Gregory Moler, Todd Moler, and Vonnie Mrva, his step Johnny Banish, 20 grandchildren, and 10 great grandchildren.
The family will receive relatives and friends on Friday, July 24th from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Lane Funeral Home, Mineral Ridge Chapel. A funeral service will be held immediately following at 12:00 PM at the funeral home. In keeping with current practices, we ask that social distancing be observed, and masks be worn.