Don Leifert(1951-2010)

Big, beefy, and often mustached actor, teacher, and film historian Donald L. Leifert Jr. was born in February 27, 1951 in Maryland. He was the son of Donald L. Leifert Sr. and Dolores L. Leifert and the brother of sister Cheryl. Don was a soldier in the army during the Vietnam War and studied for two years at the Douglas-Webber Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England. Leifert acted in a handful of enjoyable, but low-budget, sci-fi/horror movies for Maryland indie filmmaker Don Dohler: He was appropriately menacing as the titular murderous ghoul in "Fiend," effectively loathsome as despicable brutish lout Drago in "Nightbeast," and quite funny as no-count redneck Frank Custer in "The Galaxy Invader." He was married to actress Mary Mertens. Outside of acting, Don was also a teacher who taught English and theatre arts at the Carver School for the Arts in Baltimore County, English and Journalism at Dundalk High, and English and theatre arts at Towson High School in Towson, Maryland. Moreover, he was a former instructor at Catonsville High and the author of the autobiography "Riggie: A Journey from 5th Street." Leifert died at age 59 from natural causes at his home in Parkville, Maryland on October 23, 2010.