Don Hazelwood
Don Hazelwood
Born in Canada and raise in Scotland and Michigan, Don was introduced to sailing, flying, and golf at an early age. Upon graduation from the University of Detroit with a BSC in Industrial Engineering, he was called to active duty with the Air Force. Post graduate aeronautical training was provided by the Air Force Institute of Technology, various contract service schools, Auburn University, and the University of Southern California.
Assignments were primarily overseas and included attached duties with the Royal Air Force, the National Security Agency, and the NATO Operations Staff. Upon early retirement form the Air Force, Don was appointed Division Manager with Pan American World Airways. His responsibilities for quality assurance included quality engineering, quality control, safety and safety engineering, and industrial hygiene. During his years with Pan Am, he was also responsible for integrating newly acquired national air lines operation and maintenance with those of Pan Am. He later consulted with the navy in delivering training guides for the first trident submarine crews leaning how the “fly” this new class of sub. Subsequently, with Pan Am’s surprising demise, Don was offered a manager position with Martin-Marietta, them ramping up its prime contractor responsibilities in NASA’s Space Shuttle Program. Don retired form Martin-Marietta as program manager for automation and was completing outfitting of his sailing cutter “Fantome” for his dream trip to Valdez, Alaska when he was cut down with a stroke that left him immobile, speechless, and blind for nearly two weeks. After a lengthy period of recovery and a move to Pensacola, Don began volunteering two days a week with independence for the Blind of West Florida. He was invited to join the board nine years ago and has never forgotten what it means to be sightless. An only child, Don and his wife Julia reside in Pensacola and have eight children between them and thirteen grand children.