Major General Donald P. Litke USAF (Ret)

Major General Donald P. Litke, USAF (Ret) of Niceville, FL went to be with his Lord and Savior on July 30, 2026. Don was born in Denver, Colorado on November 7, 1934, to Walter and Alice Litke. He attended public schools in Denver where, in the third grade, he met his future wife, Myrna Kay McDonald. Don and Kay graduated from Denver South High and Colorado State University where Don was commissioned a 2nd Lt through the AFROTC program. They were married July 1, 1956, and moved to St Louis and New York City where Don had been recruited for the Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Company Executive Development Program until being called to active duty in November of 1956.  Don received his wings through the multi-engine pilot training program in B-25s and then completed helicopter pilot training before being assigned to the 48th Air Rescue Squadron at Eglin AFB, FL in 1958 flying SH-19 helicopters and SA-16 seaplanes. This was followed by tours in Morocco and the Azores with Kay, and now two children, Brad and Sue,  accompanying him. While in the Azores Don had the chance to leave the Air Force and return to his management job with Kaiser or accept a Regular Commission and remain in the USAF.  He clearly made the right choice. Additional tours with the Air Rescue Service in Montana and Missouri preceded assignments as an exchange student at the Naval War College in Newport, RI for the 1965-66 academic year.  During this period, then Captain Litke also completed a Master of Science degree in International Affairs from George Washington Univ. This was followed by a year in Vietnam and Thailand where he flew as a pilot advisor in Vietnamese and Thai H-34 combat rescue helicopters before returning to the States and his family where they were assigned to Wright-Patterson AFB, OH where Don and Kay’s third child, Lisa,  was born. This was followed by two assignments in the Pentagon and by attendance at the National War College in Washington, DC during the 1974-75 academic year.  Don was then assigned to Warner Robins AFB, GA where he managed the very successful C-141 Stretch program and was Director of Materiel Management for the Air Logistics Center. He was promoted to Brigadier General in 1979 and was assigned as the Vice Commander of the Okalahoma City Air Logistic Center. Don, Kay and their youngest daughter Lisa moved to Stuttgart, Germany in 1981 where Don was Deputy Director of Logistics and Security Assistance for the U.S. European Command. He was promoted to Major General in 1983 and the family moved to Ankara, Turkey where Don was assigned as the Commander of The U.S. Logistics Group (TUSLOG), an Air Division equivalent organization  until returning to Washington, D.C. in 1985.  General Litke completed his career as Deputy Director of the Defense Logistics Agency. During his career Don was awarded the Defense Distinguished Serviced Medal, The Air Force Distinguished Service medal, The Defense Superior Service Medal, The Distinguished Flying Cross, The Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, the Bronze Star with V for valor, the Air medal with two oak leaf clusters and numerous other U.S. and foreign decorations. Following his 1986 USAF retirement, General Litke formed Business Development International, a consulting firm that provided advice and assistance on doing business with the U.S Government to over 100 domestic and overseas firms before fully retiring in 2004.  For the past several years Don has been very active in volunteer and charitable groups.  These include Director and past Chairman the Institute for Senior Professionals at Northwest Florida State College (NWFSC), Director and past Chairman of the Board of Children in Crisis, Inc, past president of the NWFSC Raider’s Club, member of the Board of Directors of the NWFSC Foundation and the NWFSC Board of Trustees, past member of the Shalimar United Methodist Church council and most recently founder of Joyful Place a Memory Care ministry at the church and now located at Trinity UMC. General Litke was a Lifetime member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, and a member of AFA, MOAA, and the Daedalians.  He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Alvin and Sister-in Law Joyce, his son Brad, and his loving wife of 61 years (now 70 years) Kay.

He is succeeded by daughter Sue Farrell, daughter Lisa Pack (Jim), eight grandchildren, five great-grandsons and two great-granddaughters, and daughter-in-law Lisa Neal.   

If you would like to honor his memory  Don asked that donations be made to Children in Crisis, 1000 Luke’s Way, Ft Walton Beach, FL 32547, www.childrenincrisisfl.org. or Joyful Place at Trinty UMC. 403 Racetrack Rd NW, Ft Walton Beach, FL, 32547.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Major General Donald P. Litke USAF (Ret), please visit our floral store.