Dr. Donald D. Myers, 69, professor of engineering management at Missouri University of Science and Technology, died Sunday, July 26, 2009, as a result of injuries from a bicycling accident that occurred the previous day in Iowa.
Dr. Myers was participating in an annual cycling event in Iowa when the accident occurred on Saturday morning outside of Geode State Park, which is near Burlington, Iowa.
Dr. Myers was transported by ambulance to a hospital in Burlington and later flown by helicopter to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. He was pronounced dead at approximately 1:35 p.m. Sunday.
Dr. Myers was participating in RAGBRAI, the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, along with other bicyclists from Rolla and Missouri S&T. Saturday was the final day of the event.
Further details of the accident are not yet available. Funeral arrangements are pending.
A member of the Missouri S&T faculty since 1979, Dr. Myers was also a graduate, earning bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from S&T in 1961 and 1964, respectively. He also held a master's degree in business administration and a law degree from Saint Louis University.
Active in the American Society for Engineering Education, Dr. Myers was elected fellow of that organization in 2007. He was also a fellow of the American Society for Engineering Management, the International Council for Small Business and the U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
Active on campus, Dr. Myers was a past president of the Faculty Senate and received numerous awards for teaching and faculty excellence. In 2006, he was named an Honorary Knight of St. Patrick, and in 2003, he received the Outstanding Student Advisor Award from the Miner Alumni Association. An active supporter of Greek life at Missouri S&T, Dr. Myers served as a longtime adviser to his fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha.
A memorial scholarship fund has been established to honor Dr. Myers at Missouri S&T. Contributions to the Donald D. Myers Scholarship may be mailed to Missouri S&T at 209 Castleman Hall, 400 West 10th Street, Rolla, MO 65409-0460.
He was a great teacher and friend.
God Bless You, Don!
We extend the deepest of sympathies to your family and to all the campus and community groups which benefited from your knowledgeable, caring, insights and well-informed, intelligent questions.
Fayette and Andy Stewart (SAGBRAI 1974)
I am deeply saddened by the untimely death of Dr. Donald Myers. My heartfelt prayers go out to his family and friends in this hour of grief. May his soul rest in peace.
Don and I had a tradition of running together at conferences we attended. We literally did this all over the world. He was a special friend.
Although I do not know Dr. Myers I was deeply saddened to learn of his death. At the time of this accident I was one of the people that stopped and tried to give aid to Dr. Myers.
My condolences & deepest sympathy to the family and staff that will deeply miss Dr. Myers.
Diane Wise
Michael Schuette and Megan Brunkhorst met each other in one of Dr. Myers' graduate courses in the Spring 07 semester. They were married on Saturday (7/25) in Texas. Dr. Myers had been invited to the wedding but had sent his regrets. We wish he could have been at the wedding, but we also know that wherever he had been last weekend, it would have been his time to leave us and he was doing what he enjoyed doing. Our son Ryan is a Missouri S&T PIKE and Dr. Myers will be sorely missed by those men also.
Our deepest sympathy and condolences to his family.
The Brunkhorst Family
It brings great sadness to hear of the death of Don Myers. I first met Don over thirty years ago and have always enjoyed his friendship and companionship. He has been a stalwart in the International Council For Small Business. I extend my deepest sympathy and condolences to his family and many friends.
I have been thinking of Dr. Myers so often in the past week since I learned of his death. The news is deeply saddening. As a RAGBRAI Information Booth volunteer in Mt. Pleasant, I was privileged to give Dr. Myers a ride to his overnight host home in the countryside on the eve of his accident. He and I shared a delightful conversation as well as some commonalities in Washington, D.C., where he was to begin work later this month. Truly, in this short period of time, I could tell he was a kind, intelligent and thoughtful man. I extend my deepest sympathies to his family, friends and the University community.
I GOT THE NEWS JUST TODAY FROM THE ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT DEPT....He was a great teacher, a wonderful person and a great adivsor...I miss him truly...I don't think I can ever find a professor like him who truly devotes himself to the society.
May his soul rest in peace.