Donald G. Churma

Don Churma passed at his home in Anderson, Indiana. He was 77. 

Don, who held a PhD in linguistics, was born in Pittsburgh, PA, the first of George and Mary Churma’s eight children. The family moved to Lansing, MI in the late ‘50s. As a kid he showed an interest in language and linguistics, and even invented words and expressions, an example being “Oh my ganky!” as a substitute for “Oh my gosh!” 

After graduating from Michigan State in the mid-‘60s, Don joined the Peace Corps and spent two years as a volunteer in Nigeria. That experience heightened his interest in linguistics and left him with a great appreciation of West African culture — the people, food, music and, of course, languages. 

When Don headed off for Nigeria, he left behind his pride and joy of a sports car, a Chevy Corvair, that he bought using savings from working at a grocery store. It was one of the coolest cars in the neighborhood! And when he left Nigeria, Don and friends set off on a major motorcycle adventure. They rode up through West and North Africa, passing through exotic places like Ouagadougou and Timbuktu, and then ferried their cycles over to Spain from Morocco for more adventure. To his younger siblings, it was just awesome to know he did that and hear him talk about it.

His association with West Africa continued when he was awarded a prestigious Fulbright grant to spend a year furthering his studies in Togo. Once back in the U.S., he earned his PhD at Ohio State. His dissertation was published in 1985 as a 123-page book in a series entitled “Outstanding Dissertations in Linguistics”, and it is still available today at various university libraries. He then became a teaching professor with stops at several universities, lastly at Ball State.

Don had various interests over the years, including reading, ping pong, basketball, running, dive bars, Jeopardy and other games. He usually came up with great Christmas gifts, one sibling recalls. Yes, he was eccentric; e.g., he liked Twinkies and Hostess pies, but also took myriad vitamins and dietary supplements. He was a music aficionado who owned a fascinatingly eclectic album collection, and he liked to buy high-end audio equipment. He got a kick out of novelty songs and guys who sang falsetto like Lou Christie and Frankie Valli, but he also listened to very harmonious singers like the Everly Brothers, and jazz, rock and the blues. Attending live blues and live West African music shows, sometimes with a sibling or two, really appealed to Don. He taught his two youngest brothers how to play basic guitar chords. And he sure did like to sing. In his later years, karaoke was a favorite activity.

Don’s parents, a middle sister, Clare, and youngest sibling, Dan, preceded him in death. He is survived by his siblings Georgann, Tom, Carol, Janice and Jim.  RIP, Don!