MORRISVILLE – Donald Willey Hislop, 79, formerly of Morrisville, passed away Tuesday, December 29, 2020, surrounded by loving family.
Don was born May 28, 1941, in Burlington, he was the son of the late Russell W. Hislop Sr. and Evelyn (Willey) Hislop. He graduated from Greensboro High School. On November 5, 1960, he married Patricia Ann Salls in Greensboro. She was the girl next door and was the love of his life for 54 years. She predeceased him in May of 2014.
Though never wandering far from home Don’s local perspective offered a lifetime’s vantage of the people and landscape of Vermont. A blue-collar worker, Don’s diverse working experience fed his family and the local industry. From rising early to milk the cows, driving trucks for the town of Greensboro, hauling milk for local farmers, making cheese at Cabot and splitting firewood.
Donald acquired many hobbies throughout the years. He was a natural woodworker and created frames that glorified his wife’s beautiful paintings. He loved to dance and could be seen swinging his legs with the grace and rhythm only his wife Pat was known to follow. He was an avid racing fan and spent many a Thursday night at Thunder Road, or weekends at the Catamount Speedway. Don and Pat loved to camp and spent a good portion of their summer traveling New England in their RV with friends and family. Don was famous for his homemade onion rings and loved a big bowl of vanilla ice cream. He was a proud member of the Morristown Fire Department, Lamoille Grange 223 and the Morrisville Swingers Square Dance Group.
Perhaps most notable about Don was his affinity for storytelling and the way they came to life in remembering. It wasn’t hard to get him going about the “good ol’” days. He would share memories with humor and quick wit that easily drew in nearby ears. He was a living gazetteer – you could ride any NEK backroad with him and he would be able to tell you about the farms and folks that lived there. Don’s life and his essence reminds us to give gratitude to our individual story.
Survivors include: four children, Debbie and Brian Cote of Morrisville, Donna Hislop and Ron Aldrich of Maine, Gwen Hislop and John Laine of Morrisville and Danny Hislop and Kelley Wills of Hardwick; a brother, Russell Hislop Jr. of Greensboro Bend; sister-in-law, Jennie Allen of South Carolina; 11 grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; as well as nieces, nephews and cousins.
In addition to his wife, Pat, he was predeceased by two siblings, Franz Hislop and Constance Hislop Brown.
Services will be held in spring-summer with location, date and time to be announced.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the Lamoille Area Cancer Network, 198 Farr Avenue, Morrisville, Vermont 05661 or to the Craftsbury Community Care Center, 1784 East Craftsbury Road, Craftsbury, Vermont 05826.
Arrangements are in the care of Dian R. Holcomb of Northern Vermont Funeral Service, 60 Elm Street, Hardwick.
Online condolences may be sent to nothernvermontfuneralservice.com.
