Donald William Reinfurt

Donald William Reinfurt, 87, of Chapel Hill, N.C., passed away peacefully on November 2, 2025 at Carol Woods Retirement Center. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather and will be greatly missed.

Don was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on August 30, 1938. He was the son of a Methodist minister and lived in several towns in Pennsylvania and New York growing up. He attended Albany State Teachers College and the University of Buffalo before heading south to Chapel Hill where he earned his Ph.D. in experimental statistics. While there, he met his future wife, Karen Hillix. They were married in 1965. He was proud of the fact that recently they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. His entire working career was spent at the UNC Highway Safety Research Center. There he worked on many projects including the Click It or Ticket campaign to increase seat belt usage

Don enjoyed refereeing high school basketball and football games. He was always surprised and pleased when he met someone who recognized him as a referee many years after he officiated their games. Choral singing was also important in his life. He sang with the Choral Society of Durham for 19 years and was a long-time member of the Binkley choir. After he retired, he became a driver for Meals on Wheels in Chapel Hill and enjoyed getting to know the people on his route. He was fortunate to travel widely, visiting all over the world including Russia, Australia, Africa, Brazil, as well as across the United States.

Don is survived by his wife, Karen; his daughter, Kristin Magee, and her husband Mike Magee, of Irmo, S.C.; his son, David Reinfurt, and his wife Sarah Gephart of New York City; his grandson Ryan Magee of Van Nuys, California; his granddaughter Eden Reinfurt of New York City; his sister, Charlyn Christman, and her husband Bill Christman, of Oneonta, New York; and his brother, Rick Reinfurt, of Pacific Grove, California.

A celebration of Don’s life will be held on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at Binkley Baptist Church, 1712 Willow Drive in Chapel Hill, N.C. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in his name to the Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church or Meals on Wheels of Orange County, N.C.

The family would like to thank the nurses and staff at Carol Woods Health Center and UNC Hospice for their compassionate care of Don and our family during this difficult time.

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