Donald Firth

Donald Firth, 95, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, passed peacefully surrounded by his family on December 16, 2023.  He was born on May 2, 1928 in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England to Edgar and Ismay Firth, who preceded him in death, as did his sister Marjorie, and his wife of 66 years, Audrey Firth.

After high school, he became an electrician’s apprentice at Brook Motors. He then joined the British Army and went to many exotic locales, including Singapore. After concluding his service in the army, he went to work at Imperial Chemical Industries, which is where he met his future wife, Audrey. He continued on to college at HuddersfieldTechnical College to pursue a career as an electrical engineer, receiving a diploma in Electronics. 

Then he went to Vickers-Armstrongs for additional training, giving him the equivalent of a Master’s degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering. He was recruited to move overseas, and together he and Audrey moved to Hamilton, Ontario in 1957 and then to their final destination of Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1958. 

Donald had an illustrious career, working at Magnavox Phillips Corporation and ascending the ranks, retiring as a Senior Scientist after over 30 years. He authored a textbook, Quartz Crystal Oscillator Circuits Design Handbook, in 1965. 

Donald and Audrey had two daughters who survive him, Susan Meyer, of Carmel, Indiana, and Jill Auld (Wayne) of Fort Wayne, Indiana. He leaves behind three grandchildren: Justin Firth (Lindsey) of Fort Wayne, Indiana; Mikayla Moody (John) of Kalamazoo, Michigan; and Alex Meyer (Rachel) of Cincinnati, Ohio. 

Donald was well-known for his love of mathematics, history, politics, and economics. He enjoyed playing the piano and reading extensively, building and inventing things, as well as spending time with his family. Those who knew him well valued his dry humor and his seemingly neverending fund of knowledge. He will be sorely missed. 

In his memory, please enjoy a cup of tea while watching Monty Python and The Flying Circus.