Mr. Donald Seymour Vest

A Man of Action, His Inner Child Always Alive Across his life Donald Seymour Vest, Sr. was a kaleidoscope of activity. Whatever role he had - husband, father, gymnast, recruiter, neighborhood organizer, publisher, community leader-you would find him not just actively involved - but constantly in Action. So much in action was he that "FLIP, FLIP, FLIP" is how his friend and colleague the late Luther Holt referred to him during their years together at the Considine Recreation Center, during Don's tenure as recreation coordinator for the City of Detroit. Don's life of action began on April 5, 1930 in Ypsilanti, Michigan as the only child of Eugene and Vida Vest. As an only child, friendships were very important to Don, with some - like his relationship with Lawrence Perry and Howard Neely - lasting across a lifetime. Although there's no one around who can attest to it now, it's certain that when Don began his education in Ypsilanti, he was an active child. His education began at Roosevelt High, a K-12 private training school for Eastern Michigan College. His grandfather, Arthur Carter was a central figure in his life and because of his influence, early on Don had the idea of being a farmer. When he began his matriculation at Michigan State College (now Michigan State University) in East Lansing his intent was to major in agriculture. But that just didn't quite suit him (watching things grow was probably just not enough action!), so he completed his degree in Social Science. While at Michigan State, he was very much in action, as a gymnast, the first African American gymnast in the Big Ten Conference, and cheerleader. And this is what caught the eye of Hilda Freeman. She saw him in action as a Michigan State cheerleader, never having before seen anyone with as much energy as Don. A freshman at Michigan State, Hilda finagled an introduction to Don, a senior, and a new phase of his life began. After meeting her, except when the gymnastics team was away, this man of action did not miss a day seeing his Hilda, and at Christmas her gift was his Kappa Alpha Psi pin. An ROTC cadet, upon completing his Bachelor of Science in 1952, Don entered the U.S. Army, beginning his career at Fort Knox. He was later transferred to Fort Ord in California, and this man of action decided that he needed to further "seal the deal" with Hilda. Never actually proposing, he simply asked "what kind of ring would you like." So, on July 12, 1953 Don and Hilda were married at Fort Ord and four months later, Don was deployed to Seoul, Korea. It was after Korea that their family life in Detroit began, their daughter Karen having been born while Don was away in Korea. Karen was followed by Donald Jr. and later, Carl. Don communicated discipline to his children in all he did, running a really tight ship at home. He used wit and wisdom to guide and correct them, and later his grandchildren. • To the son who didn't quite like the accommodations in his dorm room: "All you need is a desk." • To the granddaughter who seemed to mysteriously get a stomach ache if things didn't quite go her way: "You've got more ailments than a bottle of Carter's Liver tablets has pills." • To the son who as a young adult was having a bit of a difficulty launching out on his own: "There are three people standing on this porch, and only two of us have keys." Discipline, wit and wisdom in a sentence, that would follow the recipients across a life time. The individual successes of his children and grandchildren can in part be traced to these lessons. Though disciplined, Don's inner child very much directed his engagement with his children. Often after a full day at work, he'd pile all the children (along with neighborhood kids) into the car and off to Belle Isle for swimming they'd go. A favorite game (when Hilda was away, of course) was Blooky Doc. Don would turn out all the lights in the house, with the children charged to find his hiding place. They all squealed deliriously when he emerged from his hiding place to scare them. Ever the adventurer, during the 1967 upheaval in Detroit, Don took his family to see the riots, rather than away from them. His pride and engagement with his children never wavered. Give him 20 minutes and he would regale you with their exploits and accomplishments. Across the years, he traveled near and far to visit and support them no matter where they ventured - New York, California, Atlanta, Australia. When Don and Hilda established their home in the Russell Woods neighborhood, he worked tirelessly to support the community, serving as president of the Russell Woods Association, and as a co-founder of the Russell Woods Broadstreet Parade. His community engagement moved beyond the neighborhood to involvement in and giving hands-on leadership to multiple community organizations and within his church, Plymouth United Church of Christ as deacon and treasurer: Friends of the Detroit Public Library (president); Museum of African American History (president); Brazeal Dennard Chorale (president); and Arts League of Michigan/Carr Center (chairman emeritus). Don's career saw him give service not only to the City of Detroit's Recreation Department, but also included serving as employment interviewer for the Michigan Employment Security Commission, Assistant District Director for the Boy Scouts of America, culminating with retirement after 25 years as corporate manager of college recruiting and placement at Ford Motor Company's World Headquarters. Retirement years found Don as involved and active in the community as ever. His love of the arts - music, dance, theater-saw Don and Hilda as supporters and members of the audience in arts and cultural venues across the community. In 1985, he and Hilda purchased Broadside Press, with the goal of continuing preservation of the artistic integrity and creative freedom that had distinguished Broadside since its beginnings. They successfully revitalized Broadside, consolidating its inventory, re-establishing the distribution network and giving re-birth to Broadside Poet's Theatre. It was Don's vision and commitment to preserving African American literature that led in 2005 to the establishment of the African American Literature Special Collection of the Purdy-Kresge Library at Wayne State University. His interest in honoring and preserving African American history also led him to become an active Civil War re-enactor in the 102nd Regiment Infantry U.S. Colored Troops. In doing so, he and Hilda traveled across the mid-west. As the years began to take their toll, Don didn't let it stop his activity. After moving from Sturtevant to Lafayette Park, many mornings, you could see him walking to take the People Mover to get downtown to purchase the newspaper. And sometimes the People Mover was just too slow, so he'd just walk home! Because since 1953, it was not Don or Hilda, but always "Don and Hilda" or "Hilda and Don," Don spent his last months at home in the care of Hilda. Although mostly silent during these months, he would often use his few words to tell Hilda that he loved her. That's the Don Vest that we all knew, in love with his Hilda, in love with his family, and in love with life. On January 17, Don left his legacy of love, action and commitment as an example for us all. *The family of the late Don Vest would prefer that in lieu of flowers, a donation in his name, be made to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, 315 East Warren Ave., Detroit, MI 48202

Mr. Donald Seymour Vest

April 5, 1930 - January 17, 2015