Donald Wayne Webb Jr's Obituary
Donald Wayne “Donny” Webb Jr., beloved son, husband, father, brother and friend, entered eternal rest on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024 after a motorcycle accident.
Born April 6, 1983 in Miami, Donny was the son of Don and Denise Webb. He was born as his mother looked out her hospital room at the waters of Biscayne Bay, which is why she believed he had such a deep affinity for boating and fishing. “He was a South Florida water baby,” his mother said.
Donny grew up in Homestead, graduating from South Dade Senior High in 2001 before entering the United States Air Force. Family was incredibly important to Donny, so much so that his enlistment which should have ended up being in July turned into – Aug. 6, 2001 – because he wanted to remain home until his oldest nephew JoJo was born.
Donny had several passions, airplanes among them, explaining why he decided to join the Air Force. That came from his upbringing, his mother said. “He had a love of airplanes since his eyes could focus. He would look out the window from his crib in Florida City at not only the crop dusters we had then but the jets taking off from Homestead Air Force Base,” she said.
Donny achieved the rank of Senior Airman as a crew chief of the KC-135’s during his four-year stint. He returned home in 2006 and began working many jobs; he was a security guard, worked at Sears like his father, and eventually he and his father opened an appliance company together. He also returned to his love of all things related to the water and became a charter fishing boat captain – of all the jobs he had, that was his passion.
Friends raved about his skills as a fisherman and outdoorsman. Those were the things that he loved and loved to share with others; days on the water, days at the gun range, days talking about cars and trucks and racing. He was also an avid sports fan, with affinity for the Miami Heat, Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins, among others.
“He was a big overgrown goofy kid,” his mother said. “He loved to make people happy. People thought he was a bright light. To me, that means the sunshine, because he loved the outdoors.”
Then one day, there was a realization that maybe there wasn’t such an age gap after all between two people who have had eyes for each other for some time. Donny married Samantha Cunningham in February 2017, and the couple had a son, Cameron, in May 2022.
“He was the one,” his wife said, “because our passions for our families aligned. Our families go so far back it’s almost like this whole thing was meant to be before we knew it was meant to be. You looked at him and you felt his love.”
His wife would sometimes see something on television and mention that it looked good. The next day, there it was. “You deserve it,” Donny would say. “Everything you want.”
Those who meet Cam are instantly drawn to one thing: The boy looks exactly like his father.
“He valued his family most,” his mother said. “He was a man of principles.”
Donny was extraordinarily kind and patient, except with those bringing him deliveries. His family will forever laugh about the things that made Donny one of a kind, including his amazing incapability to deal with DoorDash deliveries without his wife telling him how to handle those situations.
Those were the moments that made Donny real. His laugh was larger than life, always earned, never faked, and those fortunate enough to be considered by him to be a friend were very aware of what they meant to him.
Put simply, Donny was a gift, taken from us far too soon, and we can only be thankful now for the amazing time we shared and the lessons that we take away from him in this life.
Donny is survived by his wife Samantha Webb and their son Cameron Webb; his parents Don and Denise; his sister Erica (Nicholas) Hughes; nephews Jojo Barber (Karen), Nico Hughes and Logan Hughes; his proud in-laws, Gary and Kristi Cunningham; his uncle Allan Ellis, Aunt Connie Ellis and their family; his uncle Paul Webb, aunt Elda Webb and their family; and his Air Force brother and his family, Andrew Stapelfeldt, Marissa Mielke and Jaxten Stapelfeldt.
Services for Donny will begin Sunday, March 3 at Branam Funeral Home, 809 North Krome Ave. in Homestead, Fla, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. The Sunday service will include military honors with the presentation of the United States flag to his family. All are welcome to join the Webb family at their home on Sunday for refreshments and reflection about Donny’s amazing life.
Additional calling hours will take place Monday, March 4 at the same funeral home from 2:30 p.m. through 11 p.m. Donny’s internment will be private and at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, those wishing to pay tribute to Donny’s memory are asked to donate in his name to Fish Florida, a non-profit organization that supports organizations that teach people -- especially children -- about fishing through donations of equipment, grants, and scholarships.
“We love you all endlessly for your kind words and support it’s helped make an incredibly horrible time just a little more bearable.” his family said.
- Samantha Webb
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