Rochester, NY: Donval Paul Louis Hornburg
5 July 1934 – 10 July 2019
Born in Plainwell, MI & son of Theodor & Leona, Donval spent his youth between his grandmother’s farm & school. A graduate of Allegan High School, he received a scholarship to attend University of Michigan’s Engineering School where he met the mother of his two children. Upon graduation, he moved to Hilton, NY & began work at Eastman Kodak Company as a research engineer. Later he moved to purchasing specializing in supporting their engineers & buying some of the first computers used by Kodak. After 30+ years of service, Donval took early retirement & received his teaching certification from SUNY Brockport. He spent many years as a substitute teacher at Hilton Central High School, enjoying sharing the unexpected ways his life-long education in math, science, history, & foreign languages supported his personal & working life. He was a Boy Scout leader. An avid amateur photographer, he enjoyed taking pictures of landscapes during his extensive travels. He embraced downhill skiing, often referring to it as the “family sickness”. He loved to fix things that were broken & was always happy with a screwdriver in his hand or pulling weeds in the garden. With his companion of over 35 years, Mary, he enjoyed travelling & ushering for the RPO, GEVA Theatre, & other performance venues in Rochester. Being a grandfather brought him special joy & he expanded his circle of love to include Mary’s grandchildren. In 2014, after breaking his neck in a fall, Donval moved to St Johns Meadows in Rochester where he became a member of their Residents Council & a regular volunteer/mentor in their collaboration with the Harley School. A devout Lutheran, he was active at St. Paul’s in Hilton & at Pinnacle Lutheran in Rochester, singing in the choir as a tenuous tenor. Gregarious & outgoing, Donval was quick with a smile & a story.
He is survived by his fiancée Mary Andrews, his daughter Tanya (& Paul) Cosway, his son Kirk (& Linda) Hornburg, & his grandchildren Elizabeth, Kalvis, Lars, Kaija, Shawn, Timothy, Matthew, Jennifer, & Stephanie.
A memorial service at Pinnacle Lutheran Church will be held in August. Internment will be a private ceremony in Michigan. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a gift to the COPD Foundation (https://www.copdfoundation.org/Take-Action/Donate/Donate-Now.aspx) or the Palliative Care Department at Strong Memorial Hospital (https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/medicine/palliative-care.aspx)