Donald Darigan, 10, disappeared from Warwick, Rhode Island, on December 30, 1945, after a hunting outing with his older brothers.
About the Darigan Family
Donald Darigan was born on February 4, 1935, to Lester Henry Darigan, Sr., and Sarah Veronica White Darigan, the youngest of seven children. Two sisters died at birth before Donald was born. His older brothers included Lester Henry Darigan, Jr., Lawrence J. Darigan, Richard Allen Darigan, and Robert William Darigan, all now deceased.
The Darigan family lived on Lucille Street in Apponaug, Warwick, Rhode Island, in a home with dirt floors and a hand-pump kitchen sink.
By the end of 1945, Donald’s brothers, Lester Sr. and Lawrence, had recently returned home from serving in the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy following the end of World War II that September. Lester Sr. worked for Federal Products as an electroplating foreman before WWII and returned after.
Richard, 17, left home in 1944 at age 16 to move to Daytona, Florida, where he worked as a busboy at the Princess Icana Hotel. He joined the Merchant Marines in San Francisco and, by his 17th birthday, had served in France during WWII, exchanging prisoners in Germany.
Robert, then 12, and Donald were still living at home.
Donald’s older brothers returned home for Christmas and New Year’s, but a devastating event would change their lives forever.
Disappearance of Donald Darigan
On December 30, 1945, Donald and his older brothers walked a mile to Gorton Pond for deer or rabbit hunting; reports vary. Several inches of snow had recently fallen, and Donald had trouble walking through the white fluff.
His older brothers had “told him to follow a path while they cut through underbrush on their way home and to meet them at a certain point,” they later said. (The Republican, 1946). About 10 minutes later, the brothers arrived at the meetup location, but Donald was not there. They assumed he had walked home alone.
Donald was not there when the boys returned home, so they returned to Gorton Pond, following Donald’s tracks to Trinity Street. However, they lost them in the slush on the road.
They never saw their brother again.
Donald was last seen wearing brown pants, a green plaid shirt, a blue coat with red, orange, and green, a small neck chain with a medal, and a wrist identification bracelet bearing his name. He also wore high rubber boots, the tops of which had been cut off. Donald stood 4 feet three inches tall and weighed about 80 pounds. He had light brown hair, blue eyes, and a fair complexion with freckles.
Search and Investigation
In one of the most intensive missing persons searches in the state’s history at the time, local authorities conducted a large-scale search for the missing boy. (The Doe Network) Police, firefighters, forest rangers, and a local Boys Scouts troop searched the woods surrounding Gorton Pond. Still, they believed Donald was not there after finding footprints in the snow leading to Trinity Street.
Sightings of Donald Darigan
Two days after Donald vanished, 16-year-old Helen Rose, of Warwick, told the police she had spoken to a boy about 3:15 p.m. on December 30, fitting Donald’s description at the intersection of Trinity Street and Main Avenue. The boy was alone and said he “was lost and was looking for his two brothers,” Helen later said. The boy asked for directions to “Seal Street,” which authorities believed was Lucille Street, where the Darigans lived. Helen and the boy walked a few blocks to Greenwood train bridge at Post Road and Main Avenue, which she said he recognized and was about a mile from the Darigan family home. Helen boarded a city bus to Providence. Donald’s parents said that Donald would have known the route home from Post Road.
Police said in January 1946 that a boy fitting Donald’s description boarded a bus to Providence at 4 p.m., about an hour after the boy became separated from his brothers. However, whether it is the same bus Helen boarded is unclear.
There were subsequent sightings of Donald in Providence and Boston, Massachusetts. Because of those sightings, the police believed Donald was still alive. The investigation into Donald’s disappearance extended into 1946 with no success. Donald’s father believed Donald could have accepted a ride to Providence from a passing motorist or truck driver, or he might have returned to the woods to find his brothers. (The Republican)
A Father’s Desperate Plea for Help
In September 1946, nine months after his son disappeared without a trace, Lester Darigan, Sr. pleaded with then-Rhode Island Governor William Munford Tuck to do whatever it took to find his son. Tuck replied that he would refer the matter to the Rhode Island State Police and would publicize it within the means possible, but authorities never found Donald Darigan.
Aftermath
Donald’s parents died in 1977 and 1978. His siblings went on to live long lives.
Lester Jr. married Dorothy “Red” Cullen; they had five sons and three daughters together. He stayed at Federal Products until his retirement in 1983. He died in 2013 at age 90.
Lawrence married Dorothy A. MacKinnon, and they had a son and a daughter. He worked as a mail carrier for the U.S. Post Office for 26 years, retiring in 1977. Lawrence died in 2015 at age 88.
Richard led an impressive life. Following WWII, Richard went to Baltimore and then to the West Coast again, working various jobs in Washington State. He joined the Navy in 1947 in Portland, Oregon, serving 20 years and rising to the rank of Chief Petty Officer. Richard was briefly married to the late Marion Ethel McClellan, and they had two daughters. He retired from the military at age 39 and traveled the world for several more years. He died at his home in Rio Concho Manor, a retirement community in San Angelo, Texas, in 2023 at age 95.
At age 18, Robert enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and served during the Korean War. He later worked as a Crash Rescue Crewman for T.F. Green Airport, State of Rhode Island for thirty-five years until his retirement. He died in 2020 at age 86.
TCD’s Thoughts
There is not a lot of information on Donald’s disappearance, probably because of how long ago it was. One thing I found a little strange was that Donald was not mentioned in his mother’s obituary or that of Lawrence and Robert.
Obviously, someone abducted Donald. But I have to wonder why he decided not to wait for his brothers that day. It could have been because he was cold, and so he decided to walk home. I find it strange that he didn’t know his way home. Warwick was not that big in 1945 – between 28,000 and 43,000 people. By age 10, I knew my way around my hometown which had roughly 20,000 people. So, I find it strange Donald might have gotten lost, especially when he and Helen were at the Greenwood train bridge. She said he seemed to recognize it, and his father said he would have known his way home from there.
If he did board a Providence-bound bus, where did he get the money? Was he with anyone? Today, a bus from Warwick to Providence would take between 50 minutes and an hour and four minutes, according to Google Maps. So, if he boarded the bus at 4 p.m., he would have arrived in Providence around 5 p.m. or shortly after.
I could not find any additional info on the Boston sighting and whether the police could confirm it. I believe someone abducted him in either Warwick or Providence.
Sources
“6290DMRI – Donald Darigan.” The Doe Network. https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/mp-main.html?id=6290DMRI
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/152294973/lawrence_j-darigan: accessed October 18, 2024), memorial page for Lawrence J. Darigan Sr. (1926–10 Sep 2015), Find a Grave Memorial ID 152294973, citing Pawtuxet Memorial Park, Warwick, Kent County, Rhode Island, USA; Maintained by SCVet (contributor 47208046).
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/241450501/lester_henry-darigan: accessed October 18, 2024), memorial page for Lester Henry Darigan Sr. (1898–16 Nov 1977), Find a Grave Memorial ID 241450501, citing Saint Francis Cemetery, Pawtucket, Providence County, Rhode Island, USA; Maintained by SCVet (contributor 47208046).
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/140125519/lester_henry-darigan: accessed October 18, 2024), memorial page for CPL Lester Henry Darigan Jr. (26 Jan 1923–19 Nov 2013), Find a Grave Memorial ID 140125519, citing Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Exeter, Washington County, Rhode Island, USA; Maintained by wolfbane (contributor 48951973).
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/207121899/robert_william-darigan: accessed October 18, 2024), memorial page for Robert William Darigan (10 Sep 1933–11 Feb 2020), Find a Grave Memorial ID 207121899, citing Brayton Cemetery, Warwick, Kent County, Rhode Island, USA; Maintained by SCVet (contributor 47208046).
“Richard Allen Darigan.” Obituary. Robert Massie Funeral Home. https://www.robertmassie.com/obituaries/richard-darigan
“Think Lost Boy May Have Taken Providence Bus.” The Republican (Springfield, Massachusetts), January 5, 1946.
“Tuck’s Aid Asked in Locating Boy.” Richmond Times-Dispatch, September 13, 1946