A Video Profile of
Don Treworgy
Early Photos of Don
at Mystic Seaport
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Treworgy Planetarium
Dedication Ceremony
Treworgy Planetarium
A Tribute to Our Brightest Star
October 3, 1938 - September 13, 2009
Gazing skyward on a clear and starry night, there are few Mystic Seaport friends who would not immediately think of Don Treworgy.
Don passed away on September 13, 2009, nearly one year after his diagnosis of terminal cancer.
Don retired as Planetarium Director on June 12, 2009, after 48 years of dedicated service. He was a joyful participant in a celebration naming the Museum's Planetarium in his honor in May, and at a "red suspender" retirement party in June, in which his fellow staff greeted him wearing red suspenders like the ones Don wore daily.
His family's rich seafaring tradition was a natural background to his passion for the heavens. Among his innumerable contributions to Mystic Seaport were his roles as teacher, weatherman, historian, clock-winder and treasured colleague, Don's energy and intellect inspired legions of students and Museum visitors to delve into the precise and poetic details of celestial navigation and traditional nautical instruments.
"Just as we preserve the things of the past, the skills of the past are equally as important," Don once said. "You can have things in a museum's collections, but if no one knows what they are and how they work, then it is a loss."
He died peacefully at home, with his beloved wife Lynn by his side. The stars were bright and clear that night, as Don was for all of us.