Mar. 10, 1938 - Jun. 16, 2022
Date of Service: Jun. 27, 2022
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BURLEY – Donald Henry Sweep passed away peacefully in Ogden, Utah, on June 16, 2022, at the age of 84.
He was born March 10, 1938, to Henry B. and Mildred Louise Janssen Sweep in Caldwell, Idaho. He was a devoted husband and father to his wife and children working a lifetime to care and provide for them.
Don grew up as a happy boy on the farm in Homedale, Idaho, surrounded by aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. He loved that he was known by many as Mini Hank as his dad took him everywhere with him. He always said his dad was an easy person to be around.
Don attended school in Homedale where he was active in athletics and student council as Senior Class President. While still in high school, he joined the National Guard. He then went on to attend the University of Idaho where he was active in the Army ROTC and graduated with a degree in Range Management in 1960. From there, Don served his country as an officer in the Army. He did a tour in Korea before being stationed back in the United States at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri to finish out his active duty and then was a member of the U.S. Army Reserve for a number of years.
Don began his career with the Bureau of Land Management in the Burley, Idaho area. While in Burley, he met and married Joyce Ward, and they began their 55-year adventure together. His career took him across the country to various places including Washington DC; Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Shoshone, Idaho; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Rock Springs, Wyoming; Jackson, Mississippi; Denver, Colorado; and finally Boise, Idaho. He was known throughout his career as being able to effectively manage people and calm intense situations. He was often called into a new place to repair difficult circumstances among various types of people and organizations. After he retired, he and Joyce moved back to Burley where they enjoyed living near family.
Don’s life was spent helping others to be happy. He was an optimist, always working to find the good things in difficulty. His greatest love was in working to help his wife and family find joy. He loved the roles of bedtime story reader, game playing companion, front-yard ball tosser, swimming official, and unofficial coach of anything his kids were playing. He traveled the state of Wyoming countless times to watch his kids in all their activities. And, no matter what his grandkids wanted him to do... even if it meant playfully tying Grandpa up, he was up for it to put smiles on their faces.
Don also loved the outdoors and took great pride in his beautiful yard and plentiful garden. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, wood gathering, golfing, and going for walks to see new things. He was also an avid reader devouring books of history and historical fiction... particularly of the old West.
Don is survived by his daughter, Kristi (Jon) Marr; son, Justin (Angela) Sweep; and daughter, Rena (Cheston) Wittwer; along with seven grandchildren: Benjamin Marr, Caden Sweep, Kayla Wittwer, Kira Marr, Jaxon Sweep, Lexi Wittwer, and Addelyn Sweep. He is also survived by his sister, Delores (Ross) Spaulding as well as cousins, nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Joyce, and his parents.
The funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, June 27, at Rasmussen-Wilson Funeral Home, located at 1350 E. 16th St., in Burley. Military honors by the Mini-Cassia Veterans Group will conclude the service. Family and friends will be received from 9 until 9:45 a.m. prior to the funeral service. Following the services, Don will be laid to rest at Grandview Cemetery in Elba.
A live webcast of the Funeral Service will be available and maintained at the following link: https://youtu.be/DtuYg-3TlHk.
