Donald Lee Smrdel

DONALD LEE SMRDEL SR., age 85, beloved husband for 44 years of Mary Louise (nee Sustar); loving father of Donnie Jr. (Julianne), Diane Quintero (Forest Wilson), and Anthony (Donna); devoted grandfather of Vince (Halle), Jay, Allana, Mar, Quinn, Jay, Melanie (Todd), Matthew, and Ally; cherished son of the late Ludwig and Ann (nee Pugel) Smrdel; dearest brother of Jan Zalar (Frank), LouAnn Lemmo (Rick), and the late Ludwig “Butch” Smrdel; dear uncle and great-uncle of many, passed away peacefully on January 5, 2026.

Donald was born on October 28, 1940, in Cleveland, Ohio, and remained a proud lifelong Clevelander. He graduated from Collinwood High School and later met the love of his life, Mary Louise. Together they shared 44 years of marriage and built a loving family, raising three wonderful children who were the pride of his life.

He loved his country and proudly served in the United States Army for three years, including a tour of duty in Germany.

Donald was deeply devoted to his Catholic faith and was a faithful parishioner of Divine Word Catholic Church. He proudly embraced his Slovenian heritage and was an active member of the Slovenian lodges KSKJ and AMLA #6. He often spent Sundays at SNPJ Farm, finding joy in the companionship of friends and the tradition of polka music.

A talented musician, Donald skillfully played the button box accordion and was an original member of the Euclid Button Box Club, where he joyfully shared his love of polka music with others. He was employed for many years as a groundskeeper at Lake Farm Park and retired in 2002 after a career marked by dedication and hard work.

In his free time, Donald enjoyed tending to his vegetable garden, bowling, trying his luck with scratch-off tickets, and visiting casinos. A loyal Cleveland sports fan, he supported his hometown teams through every season, no matter the record.

Donald was a quiet and simple man with a warm sense of humor who never failed to make others laugh. Above all, he was a generous soul, always willing to give whatever he had to help someone else. He returned home to heaven, leaving behind a legacy of faith, family devotion, kindness, and love that will be cherished by all who knew him.

Mass of Christian Burial Saturday, January 17, 2026 at Divine Word Catholic Church (8100 Eagle Rd, Willoughby, OH 44094) at 11 AM.  Inurnment following at All Souls Cemetery. Family will receive friends to pay tribute to and celebrate the life of Donald at DIVINE WORD CATHOLIC CHURCH (8100 EAGLE RD, WILLOUGHBY, OH 44094) SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, FROM 10-11 AM.