Donald Hawk Crothers, formerly of Fargo, died in Bismarck on December 16, 2005 under hospice care and in the company of his loving family. He was born in Spokane, WA March 4, 1923 and moved to Fargo later that same year. His mother Della Crothers taught Latin and English Literature at Fargo Central High School from 1925 to 1954. Don was preceded in death by his parents Les and Della Crothers, three brothers and one sister.

Don completed elementary and high school in Fargo and attended North Dakota State University from 1941 to 1943. In 1943 he entered the V5 Navy program, for which he attended DePauw University, Lewiston Normal, and St. Mary's pre-flight and primary flight training in Ottumwa, Iowa. He completed officer training at Columbia University in New York and received his commission in the United States Navy. He served in the Philippine Theatre Operations and was discharged in 1946.

Don completed his undergraduate studies at Loyola University in Chicago and transferred from their law school to the University of North Dakota, where he received his law degree in December of 1950. He was admitted to the bar in February of 1951 and practiced law in Fargo until 1969.

Don served in the North Dakota House of Representatives from 1953 to 1955; as a Special Assistant Attorney General for North Dakota from 1955 to 1957; as State President of Ducks Unlimited; as Chairman of the North Dakota Young Republicans; as Vice-Chairman National Young Republicans; and as campaign director for the North Dakota Republican Party. Don also was the Executive Vice-President for the North Dakota Taxpayers Association from 1954 through 1965.

In 1967 Don was elected Municipal Judge for West Fargo, and in 1969 was appointed by the Nixon Administration as Chief Justice of the High Court of American Samoa, a territory of the United States. He served in that position until 1972 when, due to a heart attack, he returned to the Mainland. He was then appointed as a Federal Administrative Law Judge, assigned to Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Don and Marion moved to Roswell, New Mexico in the late 1970s. During his residency there, Don served as Vice-President of the Pecos Valley Water Conservancy District, a director of the Roswell Crime Stoppers, a director of Elks Lodge 969, and was a member of the Roswell Rotary Club.

He leaves his beloved wife Marion (Krause) Crothers, two sons, David (Regina) and their children Riley, Ryan, Daniel and Caitlin, and Daniel (Holly) and their children Taylor and Danielle, all of Bismarck.

Cremation has taken place and a memorial service in celebration of his life will be held at 1:30 p.m. MT on December 18, 2005 at the Zion Lutheran Church, Elgin, North Dakota with the Rev. John Amundson, officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family requests any memorials be sent to St. Alexius Hospice, P.O. Box 5510, Bismarck, ND 58506 or the charity of your choice.