Born in Cranfills Gap, Texas, Don attended Texas A&M. While there, he was introduced to Handball in 1952 and went on to become the 1954 Collegiate Doubles Champion with his handball partner, Jim Mathis. Graduating from Texas A&M with a bachelor's degree in 1955, he joined the Army and became a combat pilot in Vietnam, being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, among other awards. In 1969, he returned to A&M to teach ROTC. Retiring from the Army in 1975, he served as the Deputy Commandant, retiring in 2004. In 1991, he received the 1st annual Randy Matson Award for Distinguished Achievement. Serving in the Texas State Guard from 1989 to 2004, he attained the rank of Brigadier General. Since 1997, he has put on an annual golf tournament to raise money for scholarships for the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets. In 2014, he was inducted into the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Hall of Honor. Throughout his years at Texas A&M, he played handball several times a week. In 2010, he became an assistant handball coach for the A&M Handball Team and became a handball teacher at A&M in 2019, both of which he continues to this day. He married, has 6 children, and lives in College Station, Texas.