Donn Cost Sr

Retired Bellefontaine businessman Donn Cost Sr. passed away Wednesday, November 3, 2010 at home following a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 70 years old. A lifelong resident of Bellefontaine, Cost was born October 16, 1940, in Xenia, Ohio, a son of Charles "Lew" and Anne Cost.

He graduated in1958 from Bellefontaine High School, where he was a member of the National Honor Society, and from Miami University in 1962 with a degree in marketing. At Miami, he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and an officer with the marketing club. Following that, he did military basic training for the United States Army at Ft. Gordon, Georgia, and from 1963 to 1965 he was stationed at Grafenwoehr, Germany, where he met his wife, Dorothy Groch, an American civilian working on the base. They married in Metuchen, New Jersey August 12, 1967.

Cost managed the family business, Lew's IGA, on Sandusky Ave. in Bellefontaine until 1984. That year, he joined Super Foods, working in retail pricing and special projects until his retirement in 2004. He also served as the president of the Logan County Chamber of Commerce in 1974-75. In 1983, Cost and his family entered a contest to come up with a national marketing slogan for IGA. Their entry, "Across the USA, it's IGA," was selected and used nationwide. They were awarded a trip to Italy.

Outside of work, Cost enjoyed sharing his experiences abroad when he was asked to give yearly slide shows on Christmas in Germany at local elementary schools. In the early 1980s, he served as vice president and president of the Bellefontaine Middle School PTO. He also served as a chairman for Project Excellence, the community-wide initiative aimed at improving Bellefontaine City Schools. Over the years, he was active in planning class reunions for the BHS class of 1958. He was a life-long member of the First United Methodist Church in Bellefontaine.

In 2004, Cost was diagnosed with colon cancer and given a 30% chance of living five years. He underwent years of chemotherapy, overcame those odds, and during that time walked his daughter down the aisle and saw the birth of his first grandchild.

He is survived by his wife of forty three years, Dorothy of Bellefontaine; a son, Donn Jr. of Arlington, Virginia; a daughter, Debbie Calabro; a son-in law, Michael Calabro Jr.; a grandson, Michael Calabro III, all of Milton, Georgia. He was preceded in death by his father and mother; a sister, Betsy Bur; a brother, Chuck Cost and brother James, who died after birth.

Calling hours will be held at the Eichholtz Funeral Home in Bellefontaine from 5 to 7 P.M. Sunday, November 7, 2010. A memorial service will be held Monday, November 8, 2010 at 11 A.M. at the funeral home with burial in the Bellefontaine Cemetery with military honors by the Logan County Veterans Honor Guard. Rev. Ed Beale will officiate.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Ewing H. Crawfis Cancer Oncology Clinic 2160 Ewing Crawfis Circle Bellefontaine, OH 43311-9042

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