Donald Enke Obituary – Belleville, IL

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Donald L. Enke, aged 81, a retired Master Sergeant of the United States Air Force, from Belleville, Illinois, passed away on the morning of Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at Memorial Hospital in Shiloh, Illinois.

Born on November 18, 1943, in Bunker Hill, Illinois, Donald was the son of Roscoe and Erma Enke. He joined the Air Force when he was 18 years old. During his tenure in France, he met his future wife, Dianne Gaudin. The couple wed on December 7, 1963, at Toul-Rosieres Air Base in France. His military career took him to Da Nang, Vietnam, followed by assignments at Kunsan Air Base in Korea, Iwo Jima Island, and Germany. Despite battling illnesses believed to be caused by exposure to Agent Orange, Donald remained a dedicated and proud serviceman until his retirement in 1982 from the 554 Civil Engineering Operations Squadron at Nellis AFB, Nevada. After his military service, he returned to southern Illinois and worked for 27 years at St. Louis University Hospital as a plumbing and maintenance specialist.