Angels Camp, CA….Donald Melvin Fletcher March 9, 1924 – January 10, 2026. Donald Melvin Fletcher of Angels Camp, born on March 9, 1924, passed away peacefully at his home on January 10, 2026. He was 101 years old.
He and his older brother Jack were born to Rose Hogarth and John Fletcher, also of Angels Camp. Don was a standout basketball and football athlete at Bret Harte High School, graduating in June of 1942. That fall, he enlisted in the US Army Air Corps. He flew the perilous “Hump” route over the Himalayas, earning him the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war, Don returned home and married his high school sweetheart, Faye Loomis. They were married for 67 years, until her death in 2013.
In 1955, Don and Faye founded Fletcher Construction Company, and until 1990, had built many notable projects in the region, including the original ski lift system at the Bear Valley ski resort. Don also gave his time and talent unstintingly to various civic groups but characteristically refused to take credit for his efforts. He was a founding member of the Angels Camp Gun Club, served on the board of the Angels Camp Veterans Memorial District, and kept the municipal swimming pool running smoothly for many years.
He had a lifelong interest in nature and science, and, as his daughter Janice puts it, was “an environmentalist before it was cool”. Don was a die-hard fan of the Warriors, the Forty-Niners, and the Giants. He and his son Jack rarely missed a game. Don will be dearly missed by his pals at the local Starbucks, where, in recent years, coffee and conversation had become a morning ritual.
Asked recently what achievement made him most proud, Don said simply, “my family”. He is survived by daughter Janice, son Jack; grandchildren Jessica, Alexandria, and Emily; and great-grandchildren Rowan and Juniper.
A Celebration of Life will be held at a future date. The family suggests that any donations be made in his name to the Folds of Honor Foundation, which provides scholarship assistance to the children of America’s fallen heroes, or his local PBS station KVIE (he watched “Nature” on an endless loop).
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This man was made of the “stock” his generation produced, hard working, honest, polite, and always ready to help! He and Tony Tyrell, another wonderful man got the Angels Camp pool, up and running every summer so those of us that worked special education summer school, could have the pool ready for summer school! We missed that pool when it closed, but those 2 men could always be counted on! Thanks Mr. Fletcher, Tom Christian
Don was a great boss, we poured a lot of concrete in San Andreas, mount Reba, bear Valley and Lake Alpine. I worked for Fletcher Construction before I started working for the City of Lodi. I learned a lot from Don, Larry karns and Bob Anderson. We poured the bleachers at Bret Hart, plugged the Melonies mine up before the lake was filled. He could figure out how and what needed to be done on every project we worked on. Super smart and a very nice man.