The people of Northern Michigan have lost an articulate and ardent spokesman for the outdoors. Don and his wife, Jean, tragically perished in a house fire on March 9, 2012. Don played an active role in the preservation and enjoyment of the northern Michigan environment. He participated in many outdoor organizations throughout northern Michigan and was an articulate voice in both community activism and his extensive writing. But Don’s career as an outdoor writer was not his only career.
Don was the son of Red Ingle, a clarinetist with Spike Jones’ band. Unlike his father’s interest in comic showmanship, Don built a career in straight jazz, playing the coronet with the group Frank Assunto and the Dukes of Dixieland. In the 1990s, Don played with the Michigan Nighthawks, appearing at events around the Midwest. The Michigan Nighthawks produced three albums.
Don graduated from Michigan State University in 1952. In the 1980s, Don had his own outdoor show on channel 9. Don also wrote a column for the Big Rapids Pioneer in the 1980’s. Like Don, his wife Jean was active in the community working for Child Protective Services in Baldwin. They were the kind of people who deeply touched the lives of everyone who met them.
Don was a personal friend and mentor to me, but his enthusiasm, his energy, and his knowledge of the outdoors captivated anyone who personally knew Don. Anyone who met Don, even briefly, became a friend. That’s the way he was. That’s the way they both were. Don and Jean Ingle are already missed.
Royal Dun
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