COLUMBIA TOWNSHIP — Donn Hershberger was a mentor to fledgling business people and Little League players alike. His trademark “bravo” could be heard when anything was well done.

        He lived by the conviction that attitude is more important than circumstance, which was put to the test 22 years ago when he found out he had Parkinson's disease.

        “His attitude in the face of such a challenging disease astounded me and everyone who knew him,” said his daughter-in-law, Leslie Hershberger of Montgomery.

        Even late in his illness, said friend Reita Barnaclo Montgomery, he lived by the credo, “It's raining today, so you have to make your own sunshine.”

        Mr. Hershberger, 74, died of a heart attack June 24 at his Columbia Township home.

        As founder of Prestige Travel and a board member of the Sycamore school district and Great Oaks Vocational Schools, he was widely known in the Blue Ash-Montgomery area, where he lived from 1963 until five years ago.

        Mr. Hershberger helped found the Blue Ash YMCA and the Blue Ash/Montgomery Rotary Club, served as PTO president for Sycamore schools and was a member of the Blue Ash Lions Club, the Blue Ash Civil Service and the Montgomery Exchange Club.

        The Freeport, Ill., native was an all-state football player in high school and a proud 1949 graduate of the University of Michigan, where he was a four-year letterman.

        He moved to Greater Cincinnati in 1955 to serve as personnel director for Heekin Can Inc. He later founded Prestige Travel, which has locations in Montgomery and Milford. He retired in 1989.

        Pat, his wife of 52 years who cared for him during his illness, died in November.

        Survivors include two daughters, Christy and Robin Hershberger, both of Columbia Township; three sons, Pete of Symmes Township, Dave of Montgomery and Andy of Englewood, Fla.; a sister, Phyllis Schoonhoven of Alexandria, Minn.; and five grandchildren.

        The service has been held. Mr. Hershberger's remains were cremated.

        Memorials: Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, Grand Central Station, P.O. Box 4777, New York, N.Y. 10163.

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