Donovan G. Bayle

Donovan G. Bayle, known as Don to friends and family and Papa to his granddaughters, died on Friday, August 14, 2026, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Born May 1, 1948, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, he was 78.

Don was the son of John Bayle and Frances Bayle (Bickham). He served his country in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War and spent thirty years of his working life with Graco. On July 15, 1972, he married Nancy Marie Demitriu of Summit Argo, Illinois. They were together for 54 years.

They raised their sons in Lombard, Illinois, returning to Minneapolis in the late 1990s, before retiring, first to Schereville, Indiana, and later to Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Don had a warm sense of humor and a deep protective streak. He was an avid reader of mysteries, crime, and military adventures and never met a dog he didn't like or a deal at Kohl's he couldn't find. Most of all, he loved watching his granddaughters grow up.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his brother Kevin and Kevin's wife Nancy, and Sheila’s husband Glen Olson. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Nancy Marie; his sons, Jason Bayle and his wife Mary (Coursey), and Justin Bayle and his wife Heather (Downes); his granddaughters, Georgia Lorraine and Rose; his brother Patrick and his sister Sheila; his nieces and nephews, Jamie, Brian, Zachary, Rian, James, and Jessica; and the many friends lucky to know him.

A private remembrance will be held at a later date.