[1][2] Born in Iowa and raised in Arizona, Don was the only son and eldest child of three siblings born to Donald W. Strauch, Sr. and Mary Strauch.
He served in World War II with the United States Army.
He served as a Republican in the Arizona House of Representatives for district 29 in Mesa until his defeat in 1988 in a primary.
[4][5] Strauch died in Scottsdale, Arizona, from complication from a fall on January 11, 2016, at the age of 89.
[6] He was survived by his wife, daughter and extended family.