Donald Edward Pace, 70, passed away Saturday, December 9, 2023, at home, after being diagnosed in August 2023 with pancreatic cancer.

Don was born September 25, 1953, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Jack and Peonie (nee Dorsey) Pace, the youngest sibling to first born child Jackie Breitenfeld (nee Pace) (Howard), second born child Robert Pace (Rose).

Don attended Lutheran High School South in St. Louis where he graduated in 1971 and was a scholar athlete. He obtained a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Missouri Columbia in 1975, and a Master of Business Administration from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 1985. He worked for the Missouri Pacific Railroad prior to joining ITT Commercial Finance Corp. in St. Louis, becoming Deutsche Financial Services Corporation (after a divestiture) and later becoming GE Commercial Distribution Finance (after a second divestiture).  Don served as the head of Human Resources in an executive position.  Don was known as a strategic thinker, a practical, compassionate, and trustworthy leader, held in high regard equally by senior-most executives and the workforce as a whole. Don's strengths included seeing the best in everyone and following through with support and encouragement.  His boisterous laugh could be heard frequently in the hallways of the office.

After choosing to remain in St. Louis to be with family as opposed to relocating to Chicago after the acquisition of Deutsche Financial Services by GE, Don became the owner of several franchises of Auntie Anne's Pretzels and became, in the eyes of his family, the "Pretzel King", which business he continued to the date of his death.

Although Don was a successful businessman, his highest aspiration was to be a family man.  In 1999, Don married Paula Kay Dinger and started his journey as "second Dad" to Kathryn Jordan (nee Seabaugh) (Justin) and Leighton ("L.R.") Seabaugh, grandfather ("PopPop") to Jackson Jordan, brother-in-law to Mary Dinger and "Unca Don" to Meghan Gram-Dinger. Don loved to play golf with his son-in-law Justin, and spend time with his family outside, boating, swimming in the lake with his beloved retrievers, smoking cigars while tending the shrimp boil, grilling massive quantities of bacon, ribs and steaks, and taking solo three-week motorcycle rides in the western U.S.  In quiet times he completed timed master level sudoku puzzles and was a voracious reader.  For over twenty years on an annual basis, Don and Paula joined Don's siblings, Jackie and Howard Breitenfeld and Bob and Rose Pace on hiking vacations in National Parks.

Don loved to sing and dance. He also loved to "surprise" his family by taking a knee on a busy street in San Francisco to sing "Let me call you Sweetheart" to Paula, or belt out "Happy Birthday" (again on a knee) to the kids.  Don was a religious man, being a lifelong member of the Lutheran Church, known for staying to the very end of the service to ensure he could sing every verse of the closing hymn.

Don was passionate about affording kids the opportunity to camp and was a regular contributor to the American Youth Foundation; he also cared deeply about animals and supported Stray Rescue of St. Louis, and the World Wildlife Foundation.  Don had a lifelong love of trees and bought real estate at Lake of the Ozarks for the sole purpose of preventing development and the cutting down of trees.

Don is also survived by nieces and nephews, Karl Breitenfeld (Janice), Carole Breitenfeld, Nancy Funderburk (nee Breitenfeld) (Ray), Tim Pace (Angelah), Chris Pace (Laura), Meghan Gram-Dinger, Liz Cooper (nee Waggoner) (Ryan) ; and cousins Terry Smith (Carole), Gary Pace (Kelli), Sherry Muck (nee Pace) (Jim), Scott Pace (Peggy), Susan Bowles (nee Pace) (Richard), Barbara Kerwin (nee Pace) (Colin), Mary Kay Jones (nee Pace) (Robert), Michelle Mocciola (nee Pace), Monica Wilson (nee Pace) (Ken), Marcia Riganti (nee Pace) (Jim), Keith Pace (Mary), Kory Pace (Jill), Kevin Pace (Kathy) and Trish Pace (wife of Kyle). Don was preceded in death by his parents, Jack and Peonie Pace, sister-in-law Kathy Pace (wife of Robert Pace), uncle Jim Pace, aunt Elaine Pace, and cousin Kyle (son of Jim and Elaine, husband of Trish). Given Peonie's death when Don was a young man, Kathy served as a mother figure to Don until Kathy's death in 2002. During her lifetime, Don and Kathy excelled at making one another laugh.

A memorial service and a celebration of life will be held Friday, January 5, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. at Augustana Lutheran Church, 5000 E. Alameda Ave., Denver, CO 80246, followed by a luncheon and celebration of life at 463 E. Happy Canyon Road, Castle Rock, CO 80108. For those planning to attend, please e-mail paulapace07@gmail.com . In lieu of flowers, memorials may  be made to American Youth Foundation , Stray Rescue of St. Louis , and World Wildlife Fund , in Don's honor.