Obituary of Donald Noel Horn

Donald N. Horn Rupert, VT. – Donald Noel Horn, 89, of Rupert, passed away peacefully at his home on October 31, 2018 with his loving wife, Arlene by his side. He was born on December 24, 1928 in Jamaica, Queens, N.Y., the son of Peter Maynard and Margaret Mary (Boyle) Horn. He and his wife, Arlene (Retzlaff) Horn were united in marriage on February 6, 1977 and celebrated 41 wonderful years together at the time of his death. Donald, a high achiever from an early age, passed rigorous examinations to gain entrance into Brooklyn Technical High School. He was admitted into the U.S. Naval Academy in 1948 and graduated in 1952. Donald proudly served in the US Navy for four years, travelling the world as a navigator for a variety of naval vessels, including a destroyer. Upon leaving the Navy, he worked as an engineer for a small manufacturing concern before branching out in 1959 to found Vertex, a manufacturer of motorized lenses. By 1966, he left Vertex to start Vicon Industries, a pioneer in the manufacture of closed circuit TV systems. He grew the company from his basement to a company which went public in 1972 and made Business Weeks list of 100 fastest growing companies in the US. He retired at age 65 to move to Vermont and enjoy the great outdoors, especially Lake Bomoseen and Lake St Catherine, where he summered in his youth. Donald pursued a wide variety of hobbies and interests throughout his lifetime, including golf, travel, flying small aircraft, raising champion show dogs, equestrian competitions, sailing, scuba diving, swimming and maintaining his beloved farm in Vermont. He counted his six children and eleven grandchildren as his greatest blessing. Besides his parents, he is predeceased by his daughter and son-in-law, Kristen and Robert Johnston and his two sisters, Patricia and Nancy. Survivors include his wife, Arlene Horn, his son, Peter Horn (Karen) and children, Nicole and Christopher, daughter, Stacy Horn, son, Douglas Horn (Robin) and children, Gregory and Ellie, son, Kenneth Konz (Eileen) and children, Brendan and Kimberly, daughter, Danielle Gonzalez and her companion Peter Kahn and her children, Matthew, Justin and Victoria and his two additional grandchildren, Keegan and Aedan Johnston. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, November 10, 2018 at 11:00 am at St. Frances Cabrini Roman Catholic Church, Route 153 West Pawlet, Vt. with Rev. Vincent Odoemenam, pastor officiating. Committal services will be held at a later date at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. There will be a gathering following the Mass at the Barn Restaurant in Pawlet to continue the celebration of Donald's life. The family requests that flowers be omitted and that memorial donations be given in Donald's memory to "The Jimmy Fund", 10 Brookline Place West, 6th Floor, Brookline, MA, 02445-7226. Arrangements are under the direction of the Robert M. King Funeral Home, 23 Church Street, Granville, N.Y. To leave an online condolence, please visit the robertmkingfuneralhome.com website.