Donald Buettner, 82, of Cedarburg, passed peacefully into Jesus' arms on December 16, 2017 at Lawlis Family Hospice Center in Mequon. Don is survived by his wife of 59 years, Helen; son David (Joanne) Buettner, daughter Laura (Gary) Mortag; grandchildren: Jennifer Mortag, Elizabeth Buettner, Jacob (Elizabeth) Mortag, Emily (Aaron) Hilgendorf and Alexander Buettner; great grandchildren Rosemary Mortag and Avalon Mortag. Don was born in Milwaukee on October 4th, 1935 to Alex and Edna Buettner. He attended Rufus King High School where he met his future wife Helen Hatas. After graduating from high school, Don moved on to the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he studied Civil Engineering and played baseball. Don received his degree and then took a job working for the City of Milwaukee. Don soon realized that he wanted to pursue advanced degrees and moved back to Madison where he got a job as an instructor at the university and obtained his Master's and Ph.D. in Structural Engineering. Soon after receiving his Ph.D., Don was offered a position as a Professor at the University of Missouri – Columbia. After 2 years in Missouri, Don received an offer to become a full professor at the University of Wisconsin -Milwaukee. Don enjoyed his time teaching at UWM, but decided to get back into the consulting business. Don partnered with fellow professor Leroy Lutz and started a structural engineering firm called Computerized Structural Design (CSD). Over the years, the firm has grown to be one of the prominent structural engineering firms in the United States. Don was a man of many talents. He was a brilliant engineer, excellent athlete, gifted musician, and prolific carpenter. He was always ready to give advice or lend a hand with home improvement projects. Don was active in the Cedarburg community as a member of the Cedarburg-Grafton Rotary club and as one of the founding members of Encore, the group responsible for championing the building of the Cedarburg PAC. Most importantly, Don loved to spend time with his wife Helen. Together they liked nothing better than to be with their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A special thank you to the team at the Lawlis Family Hospice and Columbia-St. Mary's hospital in Mequon for their dedicated care and attention. A celebration of Don's life will be scheduled in January. Don's wish was that family and friends celebrate, enjoy themselves and remember him as he was. Details regarding the celebration event will be forthcoming. If desired, memorials are suggested in Don's name to Lawlis Family Hospice Center- Mequon, WI. Eernisse Funeral Home in Cedarburg is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be left at www.eernissefuneralhome.com .