Donald Ludger Dalbec passed away in Fall River, MA on August 26, 2026 at the age of 94. Born in Fall River on June 27, 1932, he was the son of the late Ludger “Lew” and Blanche Dalbec, and younger brother to his sister,the late Yola Lyon. He was married to Ann B. Dalbec for 52 years. Ann passed away in September 2009, after a long a courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease.
He was educated at Highland Elementary School, Sacred Heart Parochial (1 yr.), Moses Brown and Brown University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Chemistry. He and his family attended Holy Name Roman Catholic Church in Fall River where he served as an Altar Boy and sang in the boy’s choir.
Donald was a reservist in the United States Army from 1949 to 1953, then his unit was called up for active duty on October 19, 1953towards the end of the Korean War. Upon completion of Infantry Training at Fort Dix, he attended “Jump School” at Fort Benning. From there he served overseas in Europe in Schwetzingen, Germany, then as a Movement Control Officer in Paris, Verdun and Metz, France, and finally a 16 month TDY as a Ski Patroller at AFRC Garmisch-Partenkirchen. He was honorably discharged on September 9, 1955 as an E-5, Sergeant Specialist 2nd Class, and returned to Brown University to resume his Sophomore year and finish his pre-med studies under the G.I. Bill. During his Junior year at Brown University, he was elected as a member of the United States Olympic Team, in wrestling, at the Melbourne Olympics. He was the Class of ‘55 but graduated in 1957 due to his military service.
Donald and Ann first met on a “student ship” headed to Europe. Donald was doing a semester abroad and lived with a German doctor who was good friends with his parents, as Donald was pre-med. They reconnected back home at a dance, dated, andhe married Ann Barrett on August 10, 1957 at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Cohasset, MA.
Donald was employed with Mobil Oil Corporation from 1957 until 1993. He began in the Sales Training Program as a Sales Representative, then Area Manager, then as Mobil Oil’s International Training School Manager in Willow Grove, PA, then numerous District Manager positions on the West Coast, then Eastern Region Wholesale Manager in Devon, PA, until finally climbing to U.S. Wholesale Manager at Headquarters in Faifax, VA prior to Mobil Oil’s merger with Exxon. After retiring in 1993, he and Annbuilt a second house and enjoyed summers in Westport and winters in Naples, FL living comfortably “outdoors” while evading winters in New England.
His beloved Westport–where he grew up as a kidice skating on the pond in front of the Charlton Estate, or having Mr. Charlton personally bring out cool beverages to the kids playing on the lawn in the summer or bowling in the basement, to delivering the Sunday newspaper in a small dinghy out to the 2 lightships, Sow & Pig’s and Hen & Chickens marking the entrance to Vineyard Sound (to be paid in all the ice cream he could eat once there), to getting rides on the back of an Indian motorcycle from the local Westport motorcycle cop to The Point and back for ice cream, working on both Bajuma and Howland Farms with Bud and Mary Davis and “Mannie” (practicing his wrestling moves while throwing hay bales and moving cows into position for milking), to driving an ambulance for all 3 local hospitals at age 15 (before he had a drivers license), to when he was an adult- provided him ample opportunities to spend his summers sailing, striped bass and blue fishing, playing golf and tennis with family and friends, and tinkering around, maintaining and being very active at Spindle Rock Club. Westport was truly his Heaven, before Heaven.
He was an active member of Spindle Rock Club (Board Member and Trustee), Acoaxet Club, and Elephant Rock Beach Club, as were his parents. Having moved 13 times for work with Mobil Oil and being an avid sailor (inshore and offshore),he was also a member of the Huntington Harbor Yacht Club (Treasurer), Oceanside Yacht Club, and the San Diego Yacht Club. In his later years, he was a member of “The Friends of the Tall Ships”, and as a “paying guest,” he and Westport buddies would embark on adventures on some of the largest sailing vessels in the world (e.g., The Christian Radich (NOR), The Kruzenshtern (RUS), and The Statsraad Lehmkuhl (NOR).
Donald is survived by his 4 children (Sarah, Kristin, Katie, and David), 7 grandkids (Tobie, Troy, Patrik, Jack, Annabelle, Barrett, and Jesper), 3 great grandkids (Payton, Piper, and Parker), 3 nieces (Perryn, Stacey, and Darcy), and his dear friend Nancy Moore.
A Funeral Mass will be held at 10am on Saturday Sept. 12th at St. John the Baptist in Westport, MA, followed by his burial across the street at Beech Grove Cemetery where he will be reunited with his wife Ann.
In lieu of flowers, Donald suggested donations to The Parkinson’s Association of Southwest Florida, 2575 Northbrooke Plaza Drive, Naples, Florida 34119.