Donald Templemeyer, 98, of Carroll, passed away on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll.
Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, May 24, 2025, at Holy Spirit Church – St. John Paul II Parish in Carroll. The Celebrant will be Father Patrick Behm. Deacon Dave Prenger will assist and serve as Eucharistic Minister. Phil Phillips will serve Mass. Music will be by Kathy Halbur, Kathleen Macke and Michelle Phillips. The Lector is Jen Onderak. Gift Bearers are Sister Marie Hesed and Sister Anne Marie. Casket Bearers will be Andy Templemeyer, Brent Prenger, Nic Prenger, Cliff Vogan, Don Vogan, Justin Crawford, Sam Crawford and Matthias Onderak. Burial with military honors by the Carroll American Legion will be in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Carroll.
Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, May 23, 2025, at the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll with a rosary by Deacons Alan Loew and Scott Steffen at 7:00 p.m. Additional visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. on Saturday at the church.
Funeral arrangements are under the guidance of the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left for Donald’s family at www.sharpfuneral.com. Memorial donations will be directed to Domus Trinitatis.
Don was the 3rd of 4 children born to Rose and Earl Templemeyer from Alliance, Nebraska on August 19, 1926. He graduated from Louisville, Nebraska High School in 1944 and enlisted in the United States Army, serving in the Philippines at the end of World War II.
Don married his beloved Patricia (Stander) on June 8, 1948, while attending Peru State College. He received his teaching degree in Physical Education with additional accreditations for Commerce and School Administration. He received his Masters Degree in Physical Education from Wayne State.
While his wife, Pat, was his true love, coaching was a close second. Over his life he served as head coach in Football, Basketball, Baseball, Volleyball, Track, Wrestling and Cross Country. Football was his forte, winning 72% of his games as head coach.
He authored 2 coaching books, published articles in National Coaching magazines, and spoke at numerous coaching clinics in Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa all while teaching and coaching high school sports in those states. His last teaching position was at Kuemper Catholic High School, retiring in 1989.
Don was baptized into the Catholic faith on February 14, 1948, and truly took the command to “Serve the Lord” seriously. He worked tirelessly with the Boy Scouts, 4th Degree Knights of Columbus, Serra Club and Meals on Wheels. He served as co-chairman of “Nebraska Citizens for Decent Literature”, traveling across the country giving lectures on the evil of pornography. Don and Pat also volunteered as foster parents in the state of Iowa. Don, an accomplished swimmer and diver, managed the old Carroll outdoor pool for many years before the indoor pool was built.
His love for Nebraska football, (through good and bad) was known to all. He and Pat went to many games together in their 73 years of married life. They loved to dance, sadly not a skill they passed on to their children. They also opened a crafting business, “Woods by Tempy” with Don producing the wood crafts and Pat using her artistic talents in painting.
We will greatly miss his keen sense of humor, his skilled card-playing and his great love for family. He was one of the most selfless people we have been privileged to know. He was a firm believer in telling his family he loved them. Don ended every phone call, letter or visit with “I love you and God bless you”.
Don is survived by his children and their spouses: Rose Vogan of Minneapolis; Paula Templemeyer of Fort Dodge; Terri and Deacon Dave Prenger of Carroll; and Michael and Chong Ah Templemeyer of Omaha; 9 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild, plus numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his most treasured wife Pat; his parents; his sister Rose; and 2 brothers Earl and Bill.
