Donald Lee Powell

Donald Lee Powell, 77, of Arlington, peacefully passed away on January 11th surrounded by loved ones.

Don was born on December 25th, 1946 to Richard and Mary Powell in the city of Lima, Peru while his father was working for Pan Am Airlines. Shortly thereafter the family returned home to Kansas, before eventually settling in Richland Hills, Texas. After Don graduated from Richland High School in 1964, he pursued a degree in Architecture at Texas Tech University.
After graduation, Don worked for the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) before serving his country in the Army, stationed primarily in Fairbanks, Alaska. After his time in the service, he returned to AAFES and worked as an architect.

In 1974, he met Terry Cooper in Dallas. Don and Terry were married on December 27, 1975 and went on to have two children, Adam and Diane. Don’s job relocated the family to Seoul, South Korea and Washington D.C. before settling in north Arlington in 1989.

Don retired in 2001 from AAFES after 32 years of employment. In retirement, he found time to travel extensively with friends and family and studied art history at the University of Texas at Arlington. He was a devout runner and participated in many marathons and half-marathons across the country, often with his daughter Diane. Family and friends shared many happy memories from time spent together at the lake house on Cedar Creek Lake that Don designed and built himself. He loved trivia, barbecue, classic cars, and classical music, even teaching himself to play piano. As Don would say when leaving a gathering, “Glad you got to see me!”

Don was preceded in death by parents Richard and Mary Powell, his wife Terry Powell, his sister Janet Adams and his brother-in-law Steve Jean. Don is survived by his son, Adam Powell; daughter, Diane Powell; daughter-in-law, Komal Powell; and grandson, Roshan Powell. A memorial service will be held at First United Methodist Church of Arlington on January 27, 2024 at 2:00 pm. Family and friends are also welcome to participate in a powa ceremony at the Kadampa Meditation Center in Dallas on January 26th at 7:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra or a charity of your choice.