Don Carlos Lycan, 96, of Oregonia and a longtime resident of Warren County, passed peacefully into glory on Wednesday August 30, 2023 after a brief illness. He was an only child and was born November 29, 1926 to Grace (Pinson) and Carliss Lycan in Crum, WV, a small village named after his great-grandfather.

He was married for 60 years to the late Veryl Wallace Lycan and is survived by five children, Inga Janette (Don) Kimple of Lebanon, Carla Lycan of Lexington, KY, Jeffrey (Karen) Lycan of Columbus, Wesley (Cindy) Lycan of Middletown, and Dr. Ellen Lycan (John Dulin), Lexington, KY; five grandchildren, Taylor, Wallace, Arika, Jesse, and Noah; and five great-grandchildren, Kaden, Willem, Kadence, Bennett, and Malcolm; cousin Cy (Barbara) Pinson, Roanoke, VA; plus many other family members and friends.

Don graduated with honors from West Virginia University with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha social fraternity. Although he was offered both a faculty job with WVU and ownership of a landscaping company upon graduation, Don chose to work for General Electric. He retired as an overseas contract manager after 36 years, in a job that allowed him to travel to six continents. But despite his fulltime job, Don also loved landscaping and for a time, maintained nurseries in Ohio and at the family farm in West Virginia. He landscaped many properties in Kentucky, West Virginia, and Ohio, including some work at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens.

He was a US Army veteran of World War II, serving in the occupational forces in Germany. He was a patriotic man who loved his country and was proud to be chosen in 2020 as the Countryside YMCA Veteran of the Year at their Veteran's Day service. He was also thrilled to be chosen to go on a veterans' Honor Flight to Washington, D.C.

A good storyteller, cracking dad jokes and making up puns was his forte; he especially loved what his family called the 'banana' joke and told it often. In his youth, he sang, played the piano, and loved to dance. In his later years, he enjoyed living in the country again, exercised often at the YMCA, and loved his grandchildren and grand dog, Trigger.

He was a member of Lebanon Presbyterian Church and Rivers Crossing. Throughout his life he was active in the church, doing whatever was needed, whether he was leading the church choir, serving as an elder, or teaching Sunday School. He started the Thursday Night Men's Bible Study at LPC several years ago and faithfully attended until his death.

Don will be interred at Dayton National Cemetery with military honors on Tuesday, September 5. Those wishing to attend this ceremony should call a family member for instructions.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 23 at the Lebanon Presbyterian Church. Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m., with the service at 11 a.m. A luncheon and reception will follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation in Don's memory to the Arbor Day Foundation or to Lebanon Presbyterian Church.

Arrangements by the Oswald Hoskins Funeral Home, Lebanon.