Donald "Pooch" Dennis Van Dover

Donald Dennis “Pooch” Van Dover, 81, of Westport, SD, passed away Friday, September 2, 2022, at CHI Oakes Hospital, Oakes, ND, after a long battle with cancer from contact with agent orange in Vietnam.

Memorial Service will be 11:00 a.m., Saturday, September 17, 2022, at Schriver’s Memorial Chapel. Visitation will be one hour before the service at the mortuary. A time of fellowship and luncheon will be held following the service at Schriver’s Memorial Fellowship Center.

Schriver’s Memorial Mortuary and Crematory, 414 5th Avenue NW, Aberdeen, is in charge of arrangements.  Family and friends may sign the online guestbook and view the service at www.schriversmemorial.com.

Donald was born on August 18, 1941, to Floyd and Amy (Siemann) Van Dover in Aberdeen, SD. He attended school in Westport, SD, and was part of the last Senior class to graduate from Westport High School in 1960.

Donald entered the U.S. Army after high school and spent time in Vietnam and left the service with an Honorable Discharge.

Returning home, he worked several years for local farmers in the Westport area. Along Donald’s travels, he met Dorothy Heberlein and they spent 28 years together. They both worked many years for Dakota Hunting Farms in Hecla, SD, raising, hatching, and guiding pheasants. Donald finished his working career with Pickus Construction, Underberg Asphalt, and Aberdeen Asphalt as an equipment operator, rock crusher operator, and asphalt/hotmix plant operator. Donald spent time later in life with his friend and caregiver Elly Johnson Jones up to the time of his death.

Donald enjoyed many hobbies with his family, friends, nephews, and nieces including hunting, fishing, trapping, ice fishing, snowmobiling, trapshooting, and card playing at The Shed Bar in Westport, SD. Out of all these hobbies, his favorite was probably shotgunning predators out of the airplane for several local pilots.

Donald is survived by his four brothers: Kenneth (Elaine) Van Dover of Westport, SD, Phillip (Kay) Van Dover of Aberdeen, SD, Owen Van Dover of Westport, SD, and Mark (Linda Jo) Van Dover of Westport; three sisters: Beverly (Robert) Robinson of Rochester, MN, Linda Brooks of Aberdeen, SD, Margaret Davis of Ellendale, ND; and sister-in-law, Audrey Van Dover, Aberdeen, SD.

Donald was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers: Jerald, Thomas, and Daniel; one sister, Veronica; and several brothers-in-law.