Donald E. Jamieson, 83, passed away at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington on Thursday, August 29, 2013, following a period of declining health. Born in Randolph on January 4, 1930, he was the son of the late Stewart P. and Goldie (Morse) Jamieson. On June 19, 1954, Don married the former Elinor W. Parker in Randolph.
Don was a 1948 graduate of Eastern High School in Washington, DC, and continued his education at the University of New Hampshire, where he was a member of Acacia Fraternity. He graduated from UNH with his bachelor of science degree in biology in 1954.
Don began his long and distinguished career in education as a math and science teacher at Richmond High School. There in Richmond, he also coached the high school basketball and baseball teams, leading the baseball team to the state championship in 1959. From 1961-63 Don was a teaching principal at Jericho High School and in 1963 earned his master's degree in education from the University of Vermont. The following year he became the principal of Waterbury High School that served all 12 grades.
As many individual schools began to form union school districts in the mid-1960s, Waterbury, along with Duxbury, Moretown and the Mad River Valley towns, in turn formed Harwood Union High School in Duxbury. Don was made principal of the Union School District and worked as the school was being built in 1966 and was at the helm until 1979. In 1979, Don was honored as state principal of the year and was made an honorary member of Phi Delta Kappa.
Don continued in education serving as assistant superintendent for the Bellow Falls Schools District for several years, and then served as superintendent of schools in Barre City. Most recently he worked as executive director for the Vermont School Board's Association, retiring in 1995.
His memberships included the Headmaster Association, where he served on the executive council and later became president, and the Vermont Superintendent's Association. He was instrumental in the construction of 2 Prospect Street in Montpelier, which became home of the Vermont Headmaster Association, and he served as a trustee for over 20 years for the Waterbury Congregational Church. An avid golfer, Don enjoyed his membership at Blush Hill Country Club in Waterbury.
In his leisure time, he and Elinor enjoyed traveling extensively, and he cherished his time spent with his loving grandchildren.
Don is survived by his wife of 59 years, Elinor Jamieson of Waterbury Center; their children, Pam Foster of Waterbury Center and Bruce Jamieson and his wife Pam Steeg of Huntington; four grandchildren, Andrew Foster and his fiancée Kelly Beattie, Sean Foster and his wife Kayli Whitney, Nathaniel Foster and Casey Jamieson; a sister, Blythe Thomas and her husband Richard of Edmond, OK; a brother, William Jamieson and his wife Maryann of Milton, NH; as well as nieces, nephews and extended family. Don was predeceased by a brother, John Jamieson.
A service celebrating the life of Donald Jamieson will be held at Harwood Union High School in Duxbury on September 14, 2013, at 1 p.m. Later inurnment will take place in South View Cemetery in Randolph. Memorial gifts in lieu of flowers would be appreciated to Harwood Union High School for the benefit of music, theater and sports, c/o Susan Neill, 458 Vermont Route 100, South Duxbury, VT 05660. Assisting the family is the Perkins-Parker Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Waterbury. To send online condolences visit www.perkinsparker.com and Facebook.
