Biography

Early Life
Donald Michael Absey was born on January 18, 1929, in Bellerose, New York, a residential neighborhood of New York City. He was a first-generation American of immigrant parents. His father, Ghattas Absey, was a native of Syria and worked as a clothing salesman, while his Scottish mother Sophia McPherson Absey stayed home caring for Donald and his sister Yvonne. 

Tragedy struck the Absey family in 1937 when Ghattas died of cancer. Their shared grief drew the family closer to one another. In the absence of his father, Donald’s maternal uncle, James McPherson, became an important male role model to young Donald, and they remained close for life. 

Despite the loss of his father, Donald’s mother made sure her children had a robust childhood. Donald attended and graduated from Cardinal Farley Military Academy, a boarding school in Rhinebeck, New York. Additionally, his mother took advantage of the New York theater scene by taking her children to a variety of shows both on and off-Broadway before the family made a cross-country move to California in 1947. That same year, Donald Absey turned 18 and registered for the draft.

Young Absey’s college years began at Santa Clara University, where he joined the ROTC band despite the fact he had no musical experience. He then attended UCLA, where he joined the business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi and became a lifelong Bruins fan. Absey graduated in 1952 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Production Management.

Homefront
During both World War II and the Korean War, California played an enormous role in providing military and industrial war materials support for the war effort. 

Due to California’s strategic location along the Pacific coastline, the U.S. military expanded existing military installations and built new ones for training and airfields. During World War II, this provided easy deployment of U.S. troops to Pearl Harbor and beyond. During the Korean War, most troop ships departed from California to Korea. This meant coastal defenses, convoys, and large numbers of service members were a constant presence in the state from 1940 through the mid-1950s.

Because of its large labor force, California secured a significant number of wartime defense contracts. In fact, ten percent of all U.S. defense dollars were spent in California during World War II. Two of California’s most critical contributions to the war effort were shipbuilding and aeronautics. There were two major ship manufacturers in the Los Angeles area that produced nearly a ship per day during World War II. Additionally, the air war played a crucial role in Allied victory, which meant ramped up aircraft production to meet the military’s need for 300,000 more airplanes. California answered the call.  At the end of World War II, Southern California aircraft manufacturers, such as Hughes Aircraft and Lockheed, represented nearly 70% of the aerospace industry. When the Korean War broke out, these same manufacturers ramped up production again.

California’s diverse population included a large number of Asian Americans, who experienced the effects of discriminatory laws since the early twentieth century. During World War II, Japanese Americans were rounded up and placed in incarceration camps, two of which were located in California, under the wrongful belief that they might aid the enemy. Other Asian Americans, including Korean Americans, were often misidentified as Japanese Americans and experienced discriminatory treatment in their daily lives as well. 

During World War II and the Korean War, communism was the enemy. Even prior to U.S. entry into World War II, the U.S. Congress created the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) to investigate alleged disloyalty and subversive activities among citizens. In 1947, when the committee hosted hearings to identify potential communist activity in the entertainment industry, a group of producers and actors known as the “Hollywood 10” refused to cooperate and were banned from working for major film studios. This political persecution and the damage it inflicted built a tense atmosphere throughout Hollywood.

Military Experience
On June 6, 1952, following his graduation from UCLA, Absey enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He received training to become a fighter pilot on aircraft carriers, with a focus on night flying. As a Navy pilot, Ensign Absey flew a F6 Hellcat, a World War II fighter plane, and the Banshee, a first-generation Korean War fighter jet. Absey’s obituary stated that he flew off of the USS Oriskany, an aircraft carrier with over 2,700 enlisted men aboard, according to a March 1953 declassified action report. 

Over the years, Absey described himself as lucky and evidence supported that assertion. Absey’s duties as a Korean War fighter pilot most likely included combat flight operations, both day and night, that involved bombing enemy targets over Korea and engaging in air-to-air operations. The planes Absey flew likely carried 250-500 pound bombs on board. During the month of March 1953 alone, the USS Oriskany lost two men and had 12 others severely injured with burns and severed limbs, due to a hard flight landing that dislodged a bomb and exploded on deck. Another fatal incident occurred that month when an fighter plane crashed into the sea and was unrecoverable. Additionally, weather conditions caused damage to planes and the carrier, which created dangerous situations for the pilots and crew onboard. 

After the Korean War, Absey remained in the military, and was stationed at a base in Hawaiʻi. In 1955, he was promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade. Absey likely left military service in the late 1950s.

Veteran Experience
In June 1954, Don Absey married California native, Patricia Jean Carroll. The Abseys lived in Hawaiʻi the first few years of their marriage while Don finished his military service. Later they moved to Woodland Hills, California, and raised five children together in a lively, loving household. 

Professionally, Donald Absey was a successful, highly respected southern California pension consultant and actuary for over 40 years. He also taught retirement courses at several universities. Absey, who believed in the merits of networking and professional learning, was a career member and past president of the Western Pension & Benefits Conference. Even outside work, Absey never idled. His many pursuits were interesting and varied. Absey built upon his military flight experience and became an accomplished acrobatic flyer. Also, at the age of 65, even though he was still working, Absey completed training at the South Bay Police Reserve Academy, and became the oldest reserve officer in Los Angeles history.

Even after his eventual retirement from daily actuarial work, Don Absey threw himself into hobbies and serving others in his church and community. Don and Pat Absey regularly volunteered at church, where they co-led a youth group to inspire young people in their faith. Impressively, every Wednesday from 2010 until his death, Absey served as a volunteer docent at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Don loved learning and telling stories about Ronald Reagan’s life and presidency to visitors young and old. He spent more more than 2,500 hours volunteering at the library.

Commemoration
On July 23, 2023, at age 94, Donald Absey passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family. He was survived by his five children and wife Pat, with whom he enjoyed 69 years of marriage before his passing. Absey was buried at Los Angeles National Cemetery. Don Absey was a curious, independent, loyal, and fun-loving man, whose service and devotion to his family, community, and country will long be remembered and revered.

Bibliography

Primary Sources

“65-Year-Old Man Trains for Police Reserves.” Los Angeles Times [Los Angeles, CA], December 14, 1994. Newspapers.com (159160110).

“Carroll Rite Solemnized.” The Los Angeles Times [Los Angeles, CA], June 14, 1954. Newspapers.com (385573518).

“Donald M. Absey.” Rose Family Funeral Home. Accessed February 18, 2025. https://rosefamilyfuneralhome.com/tribute/details/1814/Donald-Absey/obituary.html.

“Donald M. Absey.” Rose Family Funeral Home. Accessed February 18, 2025. https://rosefamilyfuneralhome.com/tribute/details/1814/Donald-Absey/obituary.html.

Donald M. Absey. U.S. Marriage Index, 1949-1959. https://ancestryclassroom.com.

Donald M. Absey. U.S. Select Military Registers, 1862-1985. Digital images. https://ancestryclassroom.com. 

Donald Michael Absey. World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947. Digital Images. https://ancestryclassroom.com. 

Ghattas Absey. Death certificate. April 17, 1937. Historical Vital Records, The New York City Municipal Archives (D-K-1937-0009188). https://a860-historicalvitalrecords.nyc.gov/view/6630537.

“Jean Carroll to be Wed to D.M Absey.” Los Angeles Times [Los Angeles, CA], January 6, 1954. Newspapers.com (386044050).

“Korean Combat Action Reports for USS Oriskany (CVA 34).” Naval History and Heritage Command. Accessed February 26, 2025. https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/archives/digital-exhibits-highlights/action-reports/korean-war-carrier-combat/oriskany-cva34.html.

“L.A. Industry Girds To Fill War Orders.” Los Angeles Evening Citizen News [Los Angeles, CA], December 16, 1950. Newspapers.com (683773968).

Lockheed Aircrafts Assembly Line, ca. 1950. Photograph. c.1950. University of Southern California Libraries (chs-m10994). https://calisphere.org/item/75aeb7a361f657fa11465636ba244bfb/.

New York. Queens County. 1930 U.S. Census. Digital images. http://ancestryclasroom.com.

UCLA Yearbook. University of California - Los Angeles, 1951. Digital images. https://ancestryclassroom.com. 

Secondary Sources
“A Look Back at the Hollywood Blacklist.” BrandeisNow, Brandeis University. Last modified July 8, 2018. Accessed February 20, 2025. https://www.brandeis.edu/now/2018/june/blacklist-qa-tom-doherty.html.

“California After the War.” Called to Action: California’s Role in World War II, California Capitol Museum. Last modified 2025. Accessed February 19, 2025. https://capitolmuseum.ca.gov/exhibits/called-to-action-californias-role-in-ww2/california-after-the-war/.

“California’s Infrastructure.” Called to Action: California’s Role in World War II, California Capitol Museum. Last modified 2025. Accessed February 19, 2025. https://capitolmuseum.ca.gov/exhibits/called-to-action-californias-role-in-ww2/californias-infrastructure/.

“Donald M. ‘Don’ Absey.” Find a Grave. Updated August 5, 2023. Accessed February 18, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/257369540/donald-m-absey. 

“Donald M. Absey.” National Cemetery Administration. Accessed February 18, 2025. https://gravelocator.cem.va.gov. 

“Donald M. ‘Don’ Absey.” Veterans Legacy Memorial, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Accessed February 18, 2025. https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/DONALDMABSEY/a42819.  

“McDonnell F2H Banshee.” WarHistory.org. Accessed February 26, 2025. https://warhistory.org/@msw/article/mcdonnell-f2h-banshee.

“The Southern California Aerospace Industry.” Hughes Industrial Historic District. Last modified 2025. Accessed February 19, 2025. https://www.hugheshistoric.com/southern-california-aerospace-industry/.

“WWII on the West Coast.” Santa Clara University Digital Exhibits. Last modified fall 2022. Accessed February 19, 2025. https://dh.scu.edu/exhibits/exhibits/show/public-digital-history-world-w/the-effects-of-wwii-on-the-wes.

This profile was researched as part of a Veterans Legacy Grant Program led by National History Day in the 2024/2025 academic year.

This profile was funded by a grant from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The opinions, findings, and conclusions stated herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.


Donald Absey as a Veteran. Rose Family Funeral Home.

Donald Absey smiling, wearing a dress shirt and sweater vest.

Absey turned 18 in 1947 and registered for the draft while he was still attending high school. National Archives and Records Administration.

1947 Draft Card showing Donald Absey's information.

Donald Absey attended UCLA and joined the business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi. University of California–Los Angeles Yearbook, University of California, Los Angeles. 1951.

Headshot showing Donald Absey wearing a jacket and tie.

Ensign Absey flew fighter planes off the USS Oriskany during the Korean War, August 29, 1952. Naval History and Heritage Command (80-G-K-13048).

A Navy crew working on a plane on the desk of an aircraft carrier.

Two McDonnell F2H Banshee planes in flight during the Korean War, c.1950. This is the same type of fighter plane Ensign Absey flew during his combat missions. War History.

Don and Jean (Carroll) Absey married in 1954. Los Angeles Times, June 14, 1964.

Newspaper article with a picture of a bride titled "Carroll Rite Solemnized."

Donald Absey became a South Pasadena Police Reserve Officer at age 65. Los Angeles Times, December 14, 1994.

Man sitting on the ground in a police uniform.

Donald M. Absey was laid to rest at the Los Angeles National Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. Find A Grave.

A white, upright, rectangular cemetery marker with black trim on a wall of markers.

DONALD M ABSEY

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