Donald Lyle Longacre, age 81 years of LeRoy, a U.S. Navy veteran, expert in fisheries culture and who once played in the Tommy Dorsey Big Band, died February 27, 2007. He was born January 13, 1926 in Sandusky, Ohio, Mr. Longacre was a man of the Great Lakes, from his days of early youth running fishing charters out on Lake Erie, to taking his hitch in the US Navy Great Lakes. He served as a Radioman SV6, on the USS Myers, APD-105, USS Waxsaw AN-91, from 1944 to 1946. He went on to pursue a lifelong career in fisheries culture and management with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation until his retirement in 1991, as manager of the Caledonia Fish Hatchery.

   A graduate of Ohio University and New York Conservatory of Music, he had a wide range of intellectual pursuits and talents. He took great joy in all of them from his days of playing with the Tommy Dorsey Big Band to most recently playing with the Batavia Big Band.

   Mr. Longacre was an avid astronomer, even building his own telescope. He was a ham radio enthusiast (NW2V - Silent Key) working his rig for many years, creating a phenomenal QSL collection. He served on several advisory boards concerning Genesee County seniors' needs. He provided his extensive expertise on fisheries and water quality for several environmental groups across the nation and would actively pursue advocacy campaigns on all environmental issues. He was often seen at the Iroquois Refuge and the John White Memorial Game Farm viewing the latest flight of wildlife, while running his dog Waldo.

   He was the husband of the late Alyse (Cantwell) Longacre, who died in October 2002. He is survived by his daughters, LeeAnn (Russ) Tetrault of Powhatan, Virginia and Anne (Said) Oualif of Sturbridge, Massachusetts. We all will find a great void in our lives by his passing; we will miss his great humor, enthusiasm, daily emails and his great chili. His ashes will be given back to Lake Ontario.