Donald Richard Breyne

Mr. Donald Richard Breyne, 96, of Newnan, GA, formerly of Aurora, IL, passed away Monday, September 16, 2024, at Grady Trauma Center, Atlanta, GA. He was born April 7, 1928, in Aurora, IL, to the late Jules Ralph Breyne and Mary Agnes Plesche Breyne. Don was preceded in death by his brothers Leonard and John (Jack) and his sisters Genevive Bacidori and Geraldine Frantz. His last brother, Jules, passed away 4 days after Don. They are now all together once again. Don grew in many different areas of Illinois, from Aurora to Rutland and in between. He attended Marmion Military Academy in Aurora, Illinois, for three years and then graduated from Rutland High School in Rutland, Illinois, in 1947. After high school, he joined the Army in 1950 and served in the Korean War. Don and Joan Menzl were married on September 5, 1953, in Aurora, IL. They had 5 wonderful sons. They just celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary. He worked in several different places throughout his life as a draftsman, with the last one being the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, IL. He retired from there in 1990. Don enjoyed golfing and fishing. In his later years, he took up oil painting and became quite the artist. He was a character, the life of the party. His grandchildren will always remember his little poems and stories, especially "Pete the Pirate". He will be missed. Don and Joan were longtime members of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Aurora, Illinois. In 2020, they moved to Newnan, Georgia, to be closer to family. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at St. Joseph's Church in Aurora, IL, at 10 am with Father Jerry Leake presiding. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery on Rt. 25 in Aurora. A luncheon and a sharing of his life will be afterward at The Phoenix Club. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Don Breyne to The Greater Peoria Honor Flight. https://www.greaterpeoriahonorflight.org. Condolences may be expressed online at www.mckoon.com Survivors include his wife of 71 yrs, Joan C. Breyne; sons, Craig (Mary) R. Breyne of Jackson GA, Tim (Angie) R. Breyne of Tyrone GA, Joel (Blair) R. Breyne of Port St. Joe FL, Jay (Sara) R. Breyne of Lawrence KS, and Mark (Nancy) R. Breyne of Newnan GA; Grandchildren, Daniel (Bethany) R. Breyne of Yorkville IL, Julie (Sam) Buelk of North Charleston SC, Kristie (Jake) Unterseher of Buxton ND, Joseph (Rachael) R. Breyne of Grantville GA, Matthew (Molly) R. Breyne of Peachtree City GA, Andrea (Dustin) McGinnis of Brentwood TN, Luke (Annie) R. Breyne of Charleston SC, Nathan (Ana) R. Breyne of North Charleston SC, Déla ( Joseph) O'Callaghan of North Charleston SC, Jacob R. Breyne of Lawrence KS, Jillian P. Breyne of Maize KS, Donald R. Breyne of Newnan GA, Dennis R. Breyne of Newnan GA; Great Grandchildren, Josephine and Henry Breyne, June, Luna and Hazel Buelk, Jakob, Gemma, Maximilian, Zachariah, Damian and Leo Unterseher, Anneslei, Lennon and Sylas Breyne, Emory and Gracie Breyne, Alex and Ben McGinnis, Maeve and Nora Breyne, Rylie McCracken and Delia Breyne. Don is also survived by his sisters-in-law Anita Breyne of Rutland, IL, and Mary Ann Wolf of Aurora, IL, along with many nieces and nephews. McKoon Funeral Home & Crematory (770) 253-4580

Donald Richard Breyne

April 7, 1928 - September 16, 2024