Donald “Don” Martin Dwyer, 85, of Lewes, passed away peacefully Monday, July 13, 2026.

Born Jan. 11, 1941, in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., to Donald “Don” Joseph Dwyer and Vivian P. Dwyer, Don was the third oldest of six children and grew up in Plymouth, Pa.

Don attended St. Vincent’s, followed by Plymouth Junior High School. He graduated from Plymouth High School, where he excelled in football and track and field.

Don and his siblings grew up with several Dwyer cousins in Plymouth. They were “raised on the porch” or “in the alley,” where nearly all fond memories stem from. They all starred in the plays written by a beloved cousin, hosted fiercely competitive board games, and played championship-level stickball in the alley.

Shortly after his high school graduation, Don sustained a serious motorboat accident. During his recovery, he found coaching sports – specifically football, baseball and basketball – as his passion. He loved connecting with young athletes and serving as a mentor. Don graduated with degrees in political science and government from King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

He was a beloved teacher for more than 30 years. He taught fifth- through eighth-grade English and advanced math at Bethlehem Township School in West Portal, N.J. At Bethlehem Township School, he started the first wrestling team and coached basketball and baseball. He was a regular referee and umpire for local games, which he loved. He was a revered teacher in the classroom, commanding respect but also taught with a creative spin. He was known for using mainstream music to engage students (a favorite song from the '80s was Whitesnake’s "Here I Go Again") and for doing an actual backflip at a school dance he was chaperoning. He organized the first play for the school community, among many other fun endeavors, and the students he taught have kept in touch for decades. He touched many lives in his career.

Aside from teaching, Don’s other passion was golf. Introduced to the sport as a young adult, his competitive nature stimulated his love of the game and his lifelong quest to shave points off his scorecard. He also introduced golf to many of the students he taught. Later in life, it was a thrill to see his score was less than his own age.

Don married Kay Martin Dwyer in 1975 at St. Edward the Confessor in Milford, N.J. Don and Kay owned Dwyer’s Frenchtown Liquors in Frenchtown, N.J., for more than 20 years. Don was elected to the Frenchtown Town Council, where he served the community for several years. Don and Kay raised three children, George (Nava) of Bangor, Pa., and Michael Klipphahn of Millsboro, and Tara (Dwyer) Arras (Justin) of Alexandria, Va., in Holland Township and Frenchtown, N.J., in Hunterdon County. They thrived on keeping up with the lives of their many grandchildren.

Don was preceded in death by his parents, and his sisters, Joan, Deborah and Pege.

Don and Kay retired to Lewes, a community they loved, where they established many wonderful friendships. In recent years, they moved to Brandywine at Fenwick in Selbyville, where they received excellent assisted living support. Don enjoyed playing the card games Hearts and poker, smoking cigars, and playing many rounds of golf in his retirement.

Donations may be made in Don’s memory to the American Diabetes Association.