Donald L. Shankel

Donald L. "Don" Shankel, 80, of East Canton, OH passed away on May 8, 2026, at Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital surrounded by his loving wife and family. He was born in Canton, Ohio, on September 20, 1945.

He was a graduate of McKinley High School in 1964. Don proudly served his country as a United States Marine. Don's greatest joy was spending time with his children and grandchildren. He was a man of many hobbies. . . and collections. He loved to travel, his favorite destinations being Myrtle Beach and trips on his Harley Davidson for bike weeks. He was an avid model train enthusiast, dedicating an entire room to his collections.

Don enjoyed creating beautiful stained-glass art. He was an amateur photographer in his earlier years and loved capturing the beauty in nature. He also was a lover of all sports, Cleveland and Ohio State were his favorite teams. Don was a little league coach for many years and umpired baseball and softball at both the Little League/ASA level and as an OHSAA baseball level well into his 70's.

Don was an active member of Center Church of the Brethren. He belonged to the McKinley Detachment #277 of the Marine Corps League, American Legion Post #44 and the Hall of Fame Luncheon Club.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Jerome and Patricia Herman; son, Abraham Shankel and a grandson Zachary Pirreca.

Those left to cherish his memories are his loving wife of over 36 years, Joanne M. (Viertel) Shankel who he married on December 2, 1989; daughters, Suzanne (Bill) Leonard, Kristin (Andy) Pirreca; son, Ben (Brandi) Shankel; sister, Susan Jenkins; grandchildren, Nick Lunsford, Tyler Lunsford, Allison (Luke) Gunderman, Lydia Shankel with one more expected; great-granddaughters, Brooke and Savannah Gunderman.

Friends and family may pay their respects on Saturday, May 16, 2026, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. with Don’s funeral service starting at 11:30 a.m. at Center Church of the Brethren, 2811 Ravenna Ave, Louisville, OH 44641. Interment will follow with military honors at Sunset Hills Burial Park.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Don’s memory to the Center Church of the Brethren Memorial Fund at the church address listed above or to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Sanders Funeral Home,

218 Nassau Street E, East Canton, Ohio 44730.

Family and friends are invited to share memories and condolences at

sandersfuneralhomes.com

(330) 488-0222