Donald William Chambers

Donald "Dan" Chambers, longtime resident of Stillwater, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on July 31, 2026, at the age of 83. Born to John and Florence (née McMillan) Chambers in Hot Springs, South Dakota, he was raised in Glacier National Park and Rapid City with his elder brother Doug and his twin brother Richard (Dick); their father worked on the Mount Rushmore monument and in Wind Cave. Dan was a successful high school wrestler, ranking second in the state, and went to the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, where he earned his bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering.

After graduating, Dan moved to the Twin Cities to work at Control Data Corporation. His forty-year career took him across the world, and he worked on the CDC 6600, the world's first successful supercomputer. At Control Data, he met Marlene Tauer through the company ski club; the two were married on October 9, 1976, and moved to the Stillwater area in 1985 to raise a family.

Dan and Marlene were regular members of St. Mary's Catholic Church. He sang in the choir there for many years, and together they helped run the Wild Rice Festival. In addition to skiing, they both enjoyed the outdoors, including fishing and boating, and they played softball and bowled together in the local leagues. Dan was also a skilled woodworker, making everything from bookshelves and tables to porch swings and dulcimers.

Dan was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, and is survived by his wife, Marlene, their four children-Josh, Matt (Kelly), Luke (Maggie), and Emily (Thomas) Coffman-and four (soon to be five) grandchildren: Isabel, Katie, Nathaniel, and Michael. His visitation will be at St. Mary's Catholic Church, 423 S. 5th St., Stillwater, MN 55082, on Thursday, August 6, 2026, at 10 a.m., followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. Burial will be at a later date at Withrow Cemetery.  The Mass will be livestreamed on the Church's Youtube page and may be accessed by clicking here.