1934 – 2003

PORTLAND – Donald Francis Mangarelli, 68, a long time resident of Kennebec Street, died Friday morning at Maine Medical Center following a short illness.

He was born in Patterson, N.J., on April 30, 1934, the son of Joseph and Anna (Kolb) Mangarelli. He graduated East Side High School in Patterson and attended Sienna College in New York.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1954 and served for 30 years of active duty. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War. During his service, he attended classes at Baylor University and became a Physician’s Assistant (PA). Donald became an instructor and trainer for new PA’s while at Ft. Sam Houston in Texas.

He retired from the Armed Forces in 1984 with the rank of Chief Warrant Officer III. He moved to Rumford, the home town of his wife, Louise (Collette) Mangarelli, a fellow Army member he met in France, and married on April 25, 1964. Throughout his career they were also stationed at locations in Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Texas.

He worked at the clinic of Dr. Ed Martin in Mexico for several years. He then started work at the Maine Veterans Hospital in Togus and was instrumental in starting up the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Unit there. He continued his fulfilling work there with fellow veterans for 15 years until his next retirement.

He was an active member of the St. Athanasius St. John Church, as well as the Fraternal Order of Elks, the American Legion and the VFW. He enjoyed sports statistics, travel, puzzles, feeding squirrels and their cats.

He is survived by his wife, Louise Collette of Rumford; two sons, Michael and his wife, Michelle, and grandson, Mason of Westbrook and Matthew and his wife, Diane, of Wakefield, Mass.; a sister, Joan of Oahu, Hawaii; five nieces and nephews, also of Hawaii; and members of his extended family in Rumford and the Northeast.

He was predeceased by his parents, Joseph and Anna.

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