Donald “Donnie” Lee Huffman, age 74, passed away on Sept. 13, 2026, at home due to pulmonary fibrosis. 

He was born at an army base in Aberdeen, Md., on Oct. 8, 1951, the oldest son of Frank Phillip Huffman and Mary Louise Hostetter Huffman. 

Donnie grew up in RockbridgeCounty, and after graduating from Lexington High School, worked for Kroger in Salem as a supply chain allocator. With a draft number of 41, his presence was requested in the service, so he joined the Navy and became a gunners mate technician, a job that was in demand and kept him moving from ship to ship in the Mediterranean. 

Upon release from the Navy, Donnie returned to Lexington, met his future wife and got married in 1976.  He worked for an electrical contractor, the highway department, and the U. S. Forest Service, spending some time in California fighting forest fires.  He and his wife eventually made their way to Dominion’s North Anna Nuclear Power Station in Mineral, Va., where he worked in Health Physics and then the Chemistry Department, at which time he acquired dual licenses from the state in water treatment and waste water treatment and was the lead operator for the water/waste water treatment plant. 

After 25 years, Donnie and his wife took early retirement, returned to Rockbridge County, and started two large garden plots and became a vendor at the Lexington Farmers Market and the Rockbridge Farmers Market at the Horse Center, selling produce and honey from his hives of honey bees.  He also sold produce and honey to various restaurants.

Donnie loved gardening, growing a lot of his own plants in his basement, loved fishing and hunting, enjoyed playing softball when he was younger, loved tinkering on old pieces of equipment, loved to read, and loved animals.  He also liked people, had a great sense of humor, and enjoyed lively discussions. He was a member of the Sam Houston Ruritan Club and enjoyed helping with their various projects.

Donnie was preceded in death by his parents.  He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Kathy Ax Huffman; brothers Phil (Mary) Huffman of Buena Vista, Rusty (Barbara) Huffman of Hampton, and Chris Huffman of Baltimore, Md.; brothers-in-law George Ax of Fairfax and John Ax of Eufaula, Ala.; his closest cousins Irma Ayers and her daughter Shannon Ayers Baltz, both of Powhatan, and many other special cousins, nephews, nieces, and great-nephews, and great-nieces.

There were no services at his request.

If you would like to honor Donnie’s memory, please consider a donation to your favorite animal charity, your local library, or the Sam Houston Ruritan Club, P.O. Box 262, Lexington, VA 24450.