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I first met Don when his family moved to Odessa when we were in the sixth grade at Cameron Elementary. Donald loved motor cycles and he always had a cycle of one type or another. He had a 15cc Mustang when he was 12 years old and we used to hunt rabbits from the seats of the cycle. Once I was riding in the back and we were chasing a jack rabbit. I was carrying a loaded single shot 22 rifle. Don hit a mesquite stump and it threw both of us. As I landed the 22 discharged and missed my head by millimeters. I still have cold shiffers when I think about how close I came to my end at age 12. Even though Don lived in Odessa after high school, I can only remember seeing him no more that a couple of times.
His love of motor cycles was also the cause of his death. He was killed in a motor cycle accident on West University in Odessa on October 25th, 1995. He is buried in Shelby Chapel Cemetery in Athens, Texas.
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Betty Jo Barnett (Grissom)
MY NAME IS BETTY BARNETT GRISSOM. I WASN'T BORN IN ODESSA, BUT I LIVED MOST
OF MY LIFE IN ODESSA.I AM AN ORDINARY PERSON WITH THE GOOD FORTUNE TO MARRY
DON GRISSOM DON LOVED LIFE AND TREATED IT AS AN ADVENTURE. HE LOVED MOTOR
CYCLES, LOVED TO FLY AIRPLANES, DRIVE RACE CARS, PARACHUTE FROM PLANES AND
HAD A TRUE INTEREST IN EVERYONE HE MET. HE STARTED HIS DREAM OF OWNING HIS
OWN COMPANY AFTER WORKING WITH MY DAD AT HIS COMPANY. HE STARTED BY DRIVING
TRUCKS AND ACHIEVED HIS DREAM OF A TRUCK REPAIR AND REBUILD COMPANY. THAT
COMPANY TRUX-N-PARTS , HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS IN ODESSA FOR 40 YEARS NOW.
I AM VERY PROUD TO HAVE HELPED CARRY HIS DREAM ON AFTER HIS DEATH..
Thomas W Gay
I always liked Don, he was a true character. I remember the days of Bowie, and the return from Christmas break in our 8th grade year. I got a new Cushman Eagle for Christmas and Don was one of the few I trusted to drive it.
I remember one incident at Bowie involving Don and Johnny Keck (does anyone remember him), I think he was 23 year old still in the 8th grade and he was a giant). He dared anyone to hit him in the jaws, most of us knew that if we did we would be dead meat. Don did one day and the chase was on, way to go Don!