Through the years Duane Donat of Aberdeen made a lasting impact and endless friendships in his role as an official.

Donat passed away late last summer, but Northern State has ensured that his legacy will go on for years to come. NSU has named two track and field meets in his honor. The Dewey Donat Invitational high school meet takes place Monday at the Barnett Center. Northern’s only regular-season outdoor home meet in April at Swisher Field will also feature his name.

“Dewey got to know so many athletes over years and was such a positive influence to all. It’s a great honor to name our high school meet and college meet after him,” said Northern State track and field coach Lynne Dingman. “He is truly missed and we will make sure his passion of the sport lives on.”

Northern’s gesture to name a pair of meets after Donat is not lost on his son Eric, who will work both of those meets as an official.

“How amazing and special to know that his name will always be associated with these meets,” Eric said. “That’s the best.”

Like his father, Eric started out officiating basketball. While he still works games, he said his dad wanted him to join the ranks of the track and field officials.

“He was on me for 5-6 years: ‘I’ve got to get you to do track. I’ve got to get you do track.’ At that point in my career I was doing a lot of basketball, doing some college stuff. I was just gone way too much. I couldn’t commit to it,” Eric Donat said. “Finally one night, we were having supper. He threw a 20 (dollar bill) down on the table and I kind of looked at him and I’m like what’s that for? And he goes, that’s your track registration. Put your name on the list. So with the blessing of my significant other, I got into track.”

Soon, father and son became staples at area track and field meets.

Eric said he had a blast working meets with his dad.

“I joke with everybody that him and I were Laurel and Hardy out there. We really were,” Eric said. “We just had fun. It was so much fun.”

Last fall, Eric took his dad’s place at cross country meets, and this past week worked his first track and field meet without his father by his side.

While his dad wasn’t physically present, Eric said his dad was still very much with him.

“His spirit is with me with everything. This past week in Aberdeen is one of the best week’s ever because we got to host the State B and then we turn around and start track right away. A lot of the people at the B’s missed my dad,” Eric said. “Now I walk in here and Coach (Jim) Appl from Central basically said I don’t know if I can come to a junior high meet and not see your dad. It’s tough. There’s all kinds of memories. There’s good stuff. Always good stuff. Not only did I lose a dad, the kids lost a mentor, and he’s done a lot for track, especially in this area.”

Dingman noted that the elder Donat had been a starter at high school and Northern meets for years.

She said from his personality to his attention to detail, Donat was a big part of every event he worked.

“Dewey was a one of kind. He was the first one at the meet and last one to leave. He always wanted to make sure everything ran smoothly,” Dingman said. “He was so efficient and knew how to ‘rock and roll’ through the heats! He was a true educator of the sport and was always making sure everyone knew the rules.”

For decades Donat officiated and umpired a variety of sports from football and basketball to softball and track and field.

Eric plans to continue to carry on his dad’s legacy. He will pass down lessons to others that he learned from the best mentor he could ever ask for.

“It’s different, but it’s still the same. We’re expected to run smooth, make sure everything gets taken care of and that’s exactly the way that he would want it done,” Eric said after a recent indoor meet. “The main part for me is, I’m not the student anymore, I have to be the teacher. That’s a big change for me.”

Chances are, his dad wouldn’t want it any other way.