Donovan M. Haxton, Jr.
June 27, 1941 — May 10, 2016
Memorial services for Donovan M. Haxton, 74, of Laurel will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 14th at Our Savior Lutheran Church at 13611 Laurel-Bowie Road, Laurel, MD. Family will receive friends after the service until 3:00 p.m. in the church fellowship hall.
After an 11 year battle with cancer, Mr. Haxton died Tuesday, May 10, 2016 at his home in Laurel.
Dononvan was born in Mason City, Iowa in June of 1941 to Enda (Peterson) and Donovan Haxton Sr. In 1963, he married Judith Morton in Bettendorf, Iowa.
Donovan was a graduate of Mason City Junior College (North Iowa Area Community College predecessor) in 1961. He received an Outstanding Alumnus award from NIACC in 1991. He also graduated from the State University of Iowa in 1964 with a major in Astronomy.
He was the Senior Research Specialist at the Hubble Space Telescope Operations Control Center at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland for 22 years, and adjunct professor in Astronomy at Howard Community College in Maryland for almost 30 years. On December 3, 1982, he was awarded the Silver Snoopy Award for serving on the mission support team for the space shuttle.
He provided volunteer leadership over many years to multiple organizations including the Boy Scouts, Explorer Post 1275, Goddard Amateur Radio Club, Goddard Astronomy Club, Howard Community College Astronomy Club, Elizabeth House, and Our Savior Lutheran Church of Laurel. He served as a judge for many science fairs in Prince Georges, Montgomery and Howard counties.
Donovan had many hobbies including observing the stars and planets nightly, flying kites, going to star parties, and amateur ham radio. He also loved passing on his passion for astronomy to his youngest grandsons.
He is survived by his wife, Judith Haxton, and two daughters: Lilah Haxton of Columbia, Maryland, and Ruth (Eric) Huffman of Clarksville, Maryland, and five grandchildren: Julia, Ariana, John, Zachary and Joshua and three great grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to the Howard Community College Educational Foundation, Don Haxton memorial, 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway Columbia, Maryland 21044 or Our Savior Lutheran Church in Laurel, MD. Please make sure to note his name on your donation.