Montgomery Councilmember Don Praisner Passes Away Following Cancer Surgery
01/30/09
ROCKVILLE, Md., January 30, 2009 Don Praisner, who won a special election on May 13, 2008, to capture the vacant District 4 seat on the Montgomery County Council, passed away at 1:45 p.m. today following surgery earlier in the week for colon cancer. He was 76. Councilmember Praisner was sworn in to his position on May 27. The seat was open following the death on Feb. 1, 2008, of his wife Marilyn. She had served on the Council for 17 years, but passed away from complications following heart surgery during her fifth term. Don Praisner entered the hospital earlier in January after several weeks of having stomach problems. He was diagnosed with cancer in his colon and had surgery on Monday, Jan. 26. Councilmember Praisner represented District 4 in the eastern part of the County. District 4 includes all or parts of Aspen Hill, Burtonsville, Calverton, Cloverly, Colesville, Derwood, Fairland, Olney, Sandy Spring, Silver Spring, Spencerville, Wheaton and White Oak. He served on the Councils Management and Fiscal Policy Committee and on the Public Safety Committee. We are all deeply saddened by Dons passing, said Council President Phil Andrews. Our hearts go out to his family, his friends, his staff and all of those in the County who came to know and respect him. At a time when Don could have stayed in retirement following Marilyns death, he decided that it was important to not only carry on her legacy in government, but also to make sure that the needs and wishes of the residents of District 4 were well represented. We will all miss him and his clear voice on important issues. A resident of Montgomery County since 1947, Councilmember Praisner was a graduate of Blair High School. He attended the first class of Montgomery College and graduated from the University of Maryland. After serving three years in the Army, including one year studying Chinese at the Army Language School, he went to work for the Central Intelligence Agency. He worked at the CIA for 30 years as an analyst, manager and recruiter. Councilmember Praisner is survived by three grown children and four grandchildren. Councilmember Praisner was active in community affairs before running for the Council. He previously served as vice president of the Calverton Citizens Association; president and board member of CHI, Inc, a non-profit organization that provides services to more than 1,000 individuals with severe disabilities; and as a member of the Colesville Strawberry Festival Board. An avid and skilled golfer, he served on the board of directors of First Tee of Montgomery County, the local chapter of a national organization that seeks to introduce children to golf at a young age. Councilmember Praisner also served on the joint community/federal government committee working on relocating the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to the White Oak area. He was the Democratic precinct chair for Precinct 05-12.
Photos are courtesy of Montgomery County Council.
What's New *
History *
Members *
Incidents
FD Links * Site Map * Apparatus
About Site * Search Site
Back to Quarters
FD Links * Site Map * Apparatus
About Site * Search Site
Back to Quarters
