Donald Clay Pfiester, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and
friend passed on February 17, 2022. His sudden passing is a reminder that
tomorrow is never promised and every minute with those we love is a gift. Don
certainly lived that and was a gift to us all.

Don was born on January 20, 1949, to Roy Edward (Bunk) Pfiester and Sammie
Warnock Pfiester in Fort Stockton, Texas. He loved the wide-open spaces growing
up in a small West Texas town. Hunting and fishing were natural to Don, two
passions he continued to have all his life and eventually passed on to his
grandchildren.

Don met the love of his life, Karen Ann Bryce, when he was just 14 years old. He
once described Karen as "the sweetest girl who immediately stole my heart".
After dating for 8 years, they married in 1971 and celebrated their 50 th wedding
anniversary last summer. Together they built a life full of love, fun, adventure, and
family.

After graduating from Fort Stockton High School, Don attended the University of
Texas at Austin. Don enjoyed his time with his brothers and witnessed with pride
as his Longhorns won consecutive national titles in football. Don earned his
degree in Mathematics in 1971 and graduated with ROTC honors. Always highly
goal oriented and disciplined, Don would often say, "You have to be thinking all
the time". The tight confines of the city of Austin and even the vastness of West
Texas were never quite enough space to satisfy Don.

He had taken to flying at the age of 16 and earned his pilot license at 17, a passion
that would quickly become a lasting fixture in Don's life. His drive and desire to
serve the country that he loved propelled him from ROTC into a career in the Air
Force. Don became a member of the famous Black Sheep squadron and one of a
select group to initially fly and train pilots in the F-15 fighter. Many future Air
Force pilots benefited from Don's instruction, sometimes direct, but always with a
purpose.

While in the Air Force Don and Karen started their family with the birth of their
daughters Jaybie and Rachel. Don took extreme pride in his two girls and earned
two bonus sons in their husbands whom he adored as well. The absolute lights of
his life were his 5 grandchildren who he could never spend enough time with.
Don's devotion to family and his desire to share more time with them, led him to
retire from Air Force service in 1979. Always craving a challenge and a
quintessential Texan, Don turned his talents to oil and gas development. Without
formal training, Don quickly became a trusted leader within Clayton Williams Oil
and Gas company. He was always grateful for the friendship and mentorship of so
many that he worked with in those early years.

Ever the entrepreneur, Don and Karen moved the family to Colleyville, Texas in
1984 so that Don could continue along a path to starting his own oil and gas
company. Once again, many life-long friends were made both in the community
and among those that worked along-side Don. Both Jaybie and Rachel graduated
from L.D. Bell High School, Don the proud father of a dance team captain and lead
cheerleader.

Though extremely successful in his life's work, Don's true happiness derived from
his time spent with family and friends. Along with his two brothers, Sam and
Eddie, and a handful of close friends, Don was a founding member of the
sometimes maligned, but always well-intentioned, River Ratus Americanus. The
River Rats made expeditions all over the world and Don touched the lives of so
many friends both old and less-old. In his later years, Don was blessed to spend
true quality time with the love of his life, Karen. Together, they enjoyed
adventures, a growing family, and simple pleasures, like a quiet night at home.
As a lasting legacy, a place to always call home and for friends to gather, Don
purchased property in the rolling hills of Limestone County, affectionately dubbed
the "Pfranch" by family. Holidays were always joyful and the stocked fishing pond
provided ample grounds for Don to make sure his grandchildren could handle a
fishing rod and identify a good fishing hole. Many days were spent improving the
grounds, fixing things that broke or training his sons-in-law to more properly start
a fire. Priceless hours passed surveying for wildlife, teaching grandchildren to
drive ATV's, and sometimes how to get them unstuck from creeks and mud holes.
Don will be laid to rest on those grounds that he loved. While he will be missed
dearly, he will always be present with the family that he loved and joyfully worked
so hard to provide for.

Don is preceded in death by his mother and father and infant twin sons Donald
Keith and Samuel Boyd. He is survived by his high school love, 58-year date
companion and wife, Karen. He is also survived by his two daughters, Jaybie
Thurmond and husband Tom of The Woodlands and Rachel Miller and husband
Jon (Matt) Miller of Keller; grandchildren that were the joy of his life Clayton,
Emmy, Matthew, Max and Mason; his life-long fellow adventurers and brothers
Sam and wife Rebecca and Eddie and wife Cyndy; his sister in-law Julie and
husband Mike, and nieces and nephews that he adored and cherished spending
time with, Winston, Austin, Abigail, Brooksie, Lauren and their families.
Don made so many close and dear friends along the way, from his hometown to
the Air Force to his oil field compatriots and neighbors from the San Antonio, Fort
Worth and Georgetown communities. He enjoyed mingling with friends and
sharing a meal out where it was always handy to have Don's math skills to divvy
up the check. Don treated his friendships the same way he treated his life, with
care, purpose and love. We will miss you, Don.

A celebration of life will be held at 2:00 PM on Sunday, March 6, 2022, at Ramsey
Funeral Home, 5600 Williams Drive, Georgetown, TX 78633. In lieu of flowers,
memorials may be given in his honor to the American Heart Association.
In the wisdom of his father, Bunk, and in words that Don would often share, time
marches on….

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, March 6, 2022 at 2:00 pm in the chapel of Ramsey Funeral Home. A reception will follow at the Reception Hall at Ramsey Funeral Home. A full obituary will follow.