Fortified with the Sacraments of Holy Mother Church, Donald Vincent Nangle, 88, died June 19, 2023 lovingly surrounded by his family. Born February 1, 1935 in St. Louis, MO, the fourth of twelve children to Harriet Shafer Nangle and Judge James Francis Nangle, Sr., he will be remembered for how proud he was of his children and for his endless dedication to the little guy.

Donald was a lover of circus peanuts, Boston baked beans, unripe nectarines, saltines with butter, corned beef hash, rye bread, and any flavor of ice cream. And coffee. He loved coffee.

After Saint Louis University High School, Donald served honorably in the United States Navy, where he was proud of his selection to the Navy Ceremonial Guard. He attended Saint Louis University and Washington University School of Law. After graduating, he served as a legislative assistant in the United States Senate on Capitol Hill and worked for the Missouri Department of Insurance before going into private law practice.

Donald had a special passion for the underdog, in court and in life. He loved Matlock and MacGyver, though he was a bit more like Columbo. Beyond his legal work, Donald was a loving father and a good friend. He worked tirelessly to ensure his children were well-educated, and he bragged about their degrees and accomplishments to anyone who would listen. And he never apologized; he’d just do something really nice instead.

Donald loved to tell stories that marked his place in pivotal moments of history… like the time he saw Martin Luther King, Jr. speak in Washington D.C., or when he dined with his dear friend Larry Deloney the day it became legal for black and white people to sit together at restaurants, or when he and his brother Bruce visited the jail to offer representation to those arrested at civil rights protests that day. He never considered himself an activist; he just followed his own moral compass that told him to treat others with respect and dignity regardless of their race, religion, or culture. His true north was kindness to strangers.

Preceded in death by his best friend Robert (Barbara) Moynihan and his siblings James (Carole d.) Nangle, Jr., Nancy (Cletus d.) Byrne, Bruce (Barbara) Nangle, and Tim Nangle, Donald is survived by his wife, Jeanne McMahon Nangle; his four children, Megan (Perron) Riley, James Francis Nangle, Sarah Elizabeth Nangle, and Kitty (Brad) Lohrum; his nine grandchildren, Claire Julia, Caroline Grace, and Liam Perron Riley, Kumarika Parvati and Catherine Mina Nangle, Harrison James and Cormac Francis Lohrum; and seven of his eleven siblings, Cecelia Nangle, Kathleen Nangle, Paul (Cheryl d.) Nangle, Harriet (Edward d.) Rose, Theresa (Thomas) Obermeyer, Margaret (Neal d.) Murphy, and Stephen (Pamela) Nangle. He will be dearly missed by scores of colleagues, clients, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

Services will take place Friday, June 30, 2023 at Our Lady of Lourdes, University City, MO. Visitation will take place at 10am in the Church followed by Memorial Mass at 11am. Donald will be interred at Calvary Cemetery in a private ceremony.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in honor of ‘Donald Vincent Nangle’ to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, St. Louis or to Forest Park Forever.