Donald Frederick Willenberg

Donald "Don" Willenberg, 100, of Corrales, NM, passed away peacefully on May 19, 2026. Born April 23, 1926, in Ellsworth, KS, Donald was a devoted husband to his beloved wife of 74 years, Pat Willenberg, who preceded him in death in December 2025.

He served in WWII on an LCT (Landing Craft) in the Admiralty Island South Pacific. He received B.S. Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Kansas in 1951 Jayhawks.

His job in Kansas City at Black & Veatch received a contract to build a powerline from Santa Fe to Los Alamos, NM. Then in 1962 he started working for Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), which later turned into Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), he retired in 1987, shortly after finishing the plutonium facility. Don loved the outdoors, sharing countless adventures with Pat and their sons - skiing, fishing, boating, camping, hiking - and capturing those moments through photography, preserving a lifetime of joy, laughter, and togetherness. He and his wife never missed a Jayhawks game on TV. The neighbors commented on seeing Don and Pat always holding hands.

He is survived by his sons, Mike Willenberg and Steve Willenberg.

Funeral services will be held Monday, June 8, 2026, at French Funerals, 9300 Golf Course Rd. NW, Albuquerque, NM 87114. A committal service will follow at Santa Fe National Cemetery where Navy Honors will be rendered for his service to our country.