Donald William Moncevicz, P.E. of West Dennis, Massachusetts died peacefully in his home, surrounded by family, on June 10, 2026. He was a native of Brockton, Massachusetts, born to William and Gladys (Johnson) Moncevicz. Don and his wife Sandra raised their family on Cape Cod. He enjoyed a long life, with government and civic service playing central roles.
 
An Eagle Scout and a graduate of Brockton High School (1953) and Northeastern University (1958), Don became a civil engineer. As one of a select group of uniformed officers of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey (now NOAA), Don worked to map ocean depths off the coast of Cuba and was leader of the survey party in connection with the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell in Arizona. One of his assignments required him to travel to locations around the country with sensitive instruments to measure the Earth’s gravitational pull. He rose to the rank of junior lieutenant.
 
Following the completion of his service, he married fellow Brockton resident Sandra MacKenzie in 1964. They were blessed with two daughters, Lisa and Jill, and they moved to Dennis shortly thereafter.
 
Don threw himself into local civic life, helping to start the Town’s recycling program and serving as a Selectman from 1974-1977, during the nation’s Bicentennial celebration. He also volunteered on other local committees and with the South Dennis Congregational Church. Later in life, he worked with the local land bank to preserve properties for conservation.
 
Don led a long and varied career of federal government service, working as a civilian Department of Defense employee with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and at military installations throughout the Northeast, including Otis Air Force Base and Naval Air Station South Weymouth. He retired from Acquisition Civil Engineering at Hanscom Air Force Base in 1990, after more than 30 years of government service.
 
Following his retirement, Don hung out his own shingle, serving private clients for three decades on surveying projects, coastal property protection measures, and particularly the design of sanitation systems for Title 5 compliance. He was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and a regular fixture before local boards and commissions on Cape Cod and the South Shore, advocating for environmental and conservation issues and representing his clients.
 
As important as his career and volunteer service were to him, Don most valued time with his family. When his children were young, their adventures included frequent trips to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, ski excursions, and exploration of the United States. He meticulously planned each Christmas smorgasbord, an homage to his Swedish roots, and every New Year’s Eve since Y2K was marked by “Don Fire,” a beach bonfire, which was later moved to a backyard fire pit. His grandchildren could never leave from visits without him chasing them down the driveway with a fistful of Sacagawea golden dollar coins.
 
Always the engineer and Boy Scout, he instructed his family to “start with a map”, that “you can never have too many flashlights,” the differences between dunes and coastal banks and concrete and cement, the destructive power of water, and the glory of a “one-match” fire. He loved rocks, especially those brought to him by others from throughout the world, and he enjoyed the challenge of building stone walls.
 
The defining travel passion of Don’s life came in the late 1990s, when he visited and fell in love with western Newfoundland, particularly the area around Gros Morne National Park. With rare exceptions, Don returned once or twice a year, introducing his entire family to this unspoiled land. He found himself in Newfoundland during the U.S. airspace closure on 9/11, and he was a familiar face to the locals in Rocky Harbour and Woody Point. Don took particular pride in an ongoing project, building a large U.S.-Canadian “Friendship Shelter” from driftwood and other found items on a stretch of rocky beach.
 
Don is survived by his loving wife Sandra (MacKenzie) Moncevicz, with whom he shared 62 years of marriage; his two daughters, Lisa Moncevicz and her husband Joseph Curro of Arlington, Massachusetts; and Jill Spencer and her husband, John of Hudson, New Hampshire; his six grandchildren: Savannah Curro of New Haven, Connecticut; Sierra Curro of Arlington, Massachusetts; Andrew Spencer and his wife Kristin of Wilmington, Massachusetts; Kyle Spencer and his wife Olivia of San Diego, California; Timothy Spencer and his wife Sarah of Exeter, New Hampshire; and Katie Spencer of Hudson, New Hampshire; as well as a number of nieces and nephews.  Don was predeceased by his two half brothers, Richard Blair and Leo Blair, Jr.
 
The family wishes to thank the caring staff of VNA of Cape Cod Hospice and Cape Senior Home Health Care for their support and attention to Don’s needs during his final months.
 
Those who wish to honor Don’s memory are invited, in lieu of flowers, to make a donation to the Dennis Conservation Land Trust (https://dennisconservationlandtrust.org/) at P.O. Box 67, East Dennis, MA 02641 or to VNA of Cape Cod Hospice via the Cape Cod Healthcare Foundation (https://support.givetocapecodhealth.org/donate) at PO Box 370, Hyannis, MA 02601.
 
Visitation will take place from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM, with a celebration of life following at 2:00 PM on Saturday, June 20 at Hallett Funeral Home, 273 Station Avenue, South Yarmouth, Massachusetts. Burial will be private.

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