50 West River Street
Sniper Donald Sass
Donald and Elwood were the sons of Otto Jay Sass and Martha Ann Whitehead. Otto was a machinist who had lived in St. George and Martha was from Ilkerston, Derbyshire in England. The family lived for a time at 1 Laurel Street. Otto passed away in 1938 and Martha remarried in 1939. They lived at 50 West River Street when the brothers enlisted in the Second World War.
Donald J. Sass was born in March 1923. His hobbies included stamp collecting, swimming, baseball and hunting. He completed grade 10 and part of grade 11 at Paris District High School. Don served in the Dufferin and Haldimand Rifles militia from 1938 to February 1940 when he enlisted. He left school in 1939 and enlisted in the army at age 16.
From his records it seems that he boosted his age by three years when he went to Toronto for training. He was shipped overseas to the UK and posted to the 48th Highlanders of Canada August of 1940, then shipped to the Mediterranean theatre where he served in Sicily and Italy as an infantryman, sniper and anti tank gun fitter.
Don was wounded in Italy and shipped home and discharged in November of 1944. He was awarded the 1939-45 Star, the Italian Star, Defence Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal & clasp and the War Medal 1939-45. Following the war, he worked first at Penman’s, then as a salesman.
He married Marion Misner in February of 1945. She was also in the military with the rank of Sergeant, but we know nothing yet of her service details.
In 1948, Don enlisted in the army again and trained in radiology and as a lab assistant in Petawawa and at the Kingston Military Hospital. He was sent to San Antonio, Texas to learn about tropical medicine. On his return to Canada, he continued to serve until he was released from the army in 1963. Following his release from service Don and Marion moved to San Antonio where he worked in the lab at the Nix Hospital. They didn’t have any children. Don died in 2008 and is buried in San Antonio.
Sass Brothers: