Donald (Don) Ralph Webster

Donald (Don) Ralph Webster, a nine-year resident of Sonoita, Ariz., passed away on Monday, March 21, at St. Joseph’s Hospital due to complications from a rare blood disorder.

Don was born on Sept. 6, 1937 in Huntington, N.Y., to Ralph and Margaret Webster and had two sisters, Deborah Rodgers and Vanessa Cox. He married his first wife, Phyllis Potter, on Aug. 21, 1961. Phyllis passed away in 1999. In 2001, Don married Nancy Peterson, a good friend since college, also a widow.

Don grew up and went to school in Greenbelt, Md. His education was continued at the University of Maryland where he received a degree in Physics. Don started his career as an advanced development engineer, specializing in spacecraft and satellite design at the Westinghouse Aerospace Division. He then joined a start-up company, Neotec, which later became NIRSystems. In his capacity as VP of Engineering, he developed the first Near Infrared Instrument used for the rapid analysis of protein in wheat for the purpose of segregating wheat at county elevators. Today, thousands of these instruments are used worldwide. Don became President of the company in 1992 and expanded the use of Near Infrared technology to include rapid organic constituent analysis for not only agricultural products, but also for food, chemical, and pharmaceutical products. Under his leadership, the company grew from $4 million to $38 million in eight years. Don also holds 16 patents using this technology.

A beloved father and devoted husband, Don is survived by his wife, Nancy; his four children: sons Christopher and his wife Ellen; Mark and his wife, Lourdes; Kevin and his wife, Elizabeth; and his daughter, Bonnie and her husband Teddy; his step-children, Megan and Michael Peterson; and 12 grandchildren Andrew, Robbie, Madeline, Lizel-Jaime, Nathaniel, Aidan, Joshua, Ryan, Taylor, Avery, Lachlan, and Quinn.

But, really, no single obituary could adequately sum up how truly special Don Webster was. There was not a phony bone in Don's body. He could be quiet, unassuming, even shy and a bit introverted. But called upon to give a speech at a business conference or at one of his children's weddings, and he was as eloquent as they came. Ask him to describe a trip he just took or a dinner party he recently attended, and he would typically respond, "Oh, it was very nice."  But coax him to tell a story about any of the far-flung places he had visited in his lifetime -- Russia, Australia, Africa, the Middle East -- and you would find yourself hanging on his every word.

You rarely saw him with more than a day's beard stubble.  He was tall and fit and looked equally good in a business suit and tie ... or jeans, plaid shirt, a Stetson hat, and a bolo tie. He came to fashion himself a cowboy late in life, and he loved riding his horse in the vast grasslands of his Sonoita home. He was the man you came to for answers ... answers about everything from what was the best TV to buy to who had the best pizza in town to who was the most full of it running for political office. And if he didn't know the answer, he'd do the research, crunch the numbers, ask around, and you'd wait until Don Webster got back to you before you made your decision.  He was happiest in the company of family and close friends and he will be sorely missed by those who had the very good fortune to know him.

Celebration of Life will be held at Donaldson’s Funeral Home: 313 Talbot Avenue Laurel, MD on April 30 at 10:00AM

Internment will be at Columbia Park Cemetery: 12005 Clarkesville Pike Clarkesville, MD at 11:30 AM

Reception to follow at the Iron Bridge Wine Company:  10435 State Route 108 Columbia, MD

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your choice.