Donald Lee Deardorff II, 54, of Xenia, Ohio, passed into the arms of his Savior on Friday, October 22, 2021. He was the world's greatest treasure to his wife of 31 years, Julie. He leaves his Shih Tzu dog children Chester and Lucy, his beloved father Don Senior and stepmother Patty McAllister, brother Randy, sister Susan and her husband Alfred Hammons, niece Lisa and her husband David Raposa, nephew John Deardorff and his wife Maggie, nephew Daryn Hammons, and great-nieces and nephews David, Jacob, and John Raposa, John, Maisy, and Zoey Deardorff, Hemi Hammons, and aunts, uncles, and cousins. He was exceptionally close to his family by marriage and leaves his mother-in-law Roaine Dufresne, sister-in-law Becky Dufresne, sister-in-law Jenn Brett and her husband Harold, brother-in-law Jeff Dufresne and his wife Nicole, niece Evelyn and her husband Zach Pickett, nephew Tim Brett and his wife Hillary, niece Stacey Erne, nephews Caleb and Nathan Dufresne, and great-nieces and nephews Shane, Ruth, and Caroline Erne, Autumn Pickett, and Tyler Brett.

Don was born in Providence, Rhode Island on October 1, 1967 to Donald L Deardorff and Dorothy Ann Frizzell Deardorff. He was preceded in death by his mother and his father-in-law, Ron Dufresne. He earned his B.A. from Gettysburg College, his M.A. from University of Maryland, and his Ph.D. from University of Rhode Island. He taught literature and writing at Cedarville University for 25 years. He loved his students and it brought him great joy when they learned to think critically and write more effectively.

Don loved his home state of Rhode Island, playing ice hockey in the Huff-n-Puff League, the music of Bruce Springsteen, and following hockey, football, and baseball, especially the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Red Sox, and Cleveland Browns. He was an award winning high school athlete in baseball and football before turning to sports broadcasting in college. He served as the sports director of his college radio station and was the play-by-play announcer for football, baseball, and lacrosse. He was a member of Dayton Avenue Baptist Church and recognized for his ability to integrate his faith in Jesus with literature and cultural studies. He was the author of books on a variety of subjects.

The family welcomes friends to a memorial service in Don's honor on Saturday, November 6 at Dayton Avenue Baptist Church in Xenia, Ohio, at 11:00 a.m., with visitation preceding the service from 9:30-11:00 a.m. A scholarship for English majors in Don's name will be established at Cedarville University. Donations made at the following website should include his name: https://1000daystransformed.cedarville.edu/give-now

Online condolences may be made to the family at www.mccolaughfuneralhome.com.