Donald William Elmore, age 80, of Somerset, Kentucky, passed from this life on Wednesday, December 16, 2025 at Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital.
Donald was born on August 21, 1945 to Earl Elmore and Laura (Holland) Elmore Anderson in Louisville, Kentucky.
He is survived by his wife, Susan Elmore, his children: Chris and Linda Elmore, Jessica Becker, Henry Wood, Brendan Becker, grandchildren: Brian and Reagan Becker, brother and sisters: Gary Elmore (Ruth), Kenny Elmore, Jim Elmore (Annette), Tim Elmore, and Donna Watson; along with many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters, Patty and Tammy.
He graduated from Campbellsville College with a degree in Social Science in 1972. Donald and Susan came to Somerset in August of 1972, he taught psychology, sociology, and U.S. History there for 27 years, and retired in 1999. He organized the 4th Ky Civil War Reenactment group using his high school students and others in the area. He was one of the reasons that The Battle of Mill Springs (Zollicoffer Park) became an organization. His love for God, his family, history, and this community was present. He loved teaching, he was the president of the Pulaski County Historical Society several years and was involved in the Virginia Theater. At Campbellsville College, he organized the “Battle of Tebbs Bend” reenactment. Donald was a reenactor for many years, starting with Perryville, Ky and he served as captain in the unit. He loved showing movies, while at Campbellsville College he ran the projectors for the college theater.
Donald and Susan met in August of 1968, he and other boys were waiting at the dorms to check out the new girls. He helped Susan move in, at that time he went by the name “Squan Doolie”. He acquired the name while on the Campbellsville College judo team. He won a match by yelling this word (which didn’t mean anything.) This distracted his opponent so Donald could pin him and win the match. After meeting each other they discovered they both loved history. Susan’s grandmother had an antebellum house nearby built before the Civil War. One of their first dates was taking him to see the house, Susan always said he married her for her Civil War Southern heritage and a book written in 1868 about the Orphan Brigade.
Donald and Susan married in August of 1968 and lived in Louisville. He worked for Household Finance. He hated this because he had to collect money from people that didn’t have it. They moved back to Campbellsville in the summer of 1970 for him to finish college. Donald worked as a photographer for the college and 2 other jobs while he was a student. He graduated in 1972 and moved back to Somerset. He was the teacher sponsor in the video and camera club. They filmed all the games with cameras that were as big as a suitcase. In 1978, he was in the movie “Rebel Slave”. He taught history college classes off campus for several years. He also sponsored the Somerset mascot. They came to Somerset when their son was 3, and in 1978 they had a daughter, Jessica. They lived in West Gate Subdivision. Many weekends, they would have the students over for video club parties. He often took his classes on tours of downtown Somerset to learn the history of the area. In the summers, he would work at Video Land in Science Hill. He loved visiting old theaters and watching movies.
He was a member and Master of Mason Burnside Lodge #634.
After he retired, Donald continued reading and studying history. In 2006, he built a diorama depicting the Battle of Mill Springs in Nancy, Ky and “The Old Mill” diorama. He built 6 dioramas. Donald and Susan traveled out west, to Scotland, Hawaii, and many Civil War and historical sites.
Their grandson was born in 1999, the year Donald retired and granddaughter Reagan was born in 2003. Being a Gramps was a big part of his life. Donald and Susan hosted 2 exchange students, one from Denmark and one from Germany. He taught 27 years and had an average of 120 students a year. He touched a lot of lives in many ways.