Don and Peggy Durling
Don and Peggy Durling have been living in and serving their Fallbrook Community for sixty-four years.
Both were born the same year, in 1947. Don was the second child of Bob and Eleanor Durling, and he has three sisters. Peggy was also the second child of Wally and Dorothy Drew and she has three sisters and one brother.
Ironically, both families moved to Fallbrook the same year—the Durlings from Orange, California and the Drews from Utica, Michigan in 1960.
Durling Nursery, established in 1926 by Don’s grandfather, Clarence, moved to Morro Hills in Fallbrook and Don’s family and grandparents, resided there.
The Drews settled on East Mission and Wally worked mostly with heavy equipment—construction, repairs, hauling and selling.
Don and Peggy were casual friends in high school. Don immersed himself in agriculture and Future Farmers. He held offices, winning awards for leadership and his very successful projects. He was Fallbrook’s first to win the very prestigious honor of American Farmer. He accomplished all of this while serving as Student Body President and raising his own citrus nursery trees and palm trees for market.
Peggy on the other hand, found her interest in school clubs, organizations and activities and worked part time.
Don and Peggy both attended Palomar Jr. College and Don went to Cal Poly, Pomona.
Anxious to use their skills productively, they both worked full-time. Don owned and operated Don Durling Nursery and Chemical, where he raised citrus and avocado nursery trees and sprayed local citrus orchards for pest control.
Peggy held bookkeeping and secretarial positions at Fallbrook Golf and Country Club, Southwest Bank and Rainbow Municipal Water District.
The couple began dating in 1967. True to their alma mater, their first date was attending Fallbrook High School’s homecoming game. After an eighteen-month courtship, they were married at Zion Lutheran Church, which Don’s grandfather, Clarence helped to build.
While devoted to church, family and business, Don and Peggy are proud to have raised three remarkable children—Dennis, Kevin and Corinna, who have become successful, productive, adults.
In 1969, Don joined forces with his father as partners in Durling Nursery. Don moved his family to De Luz in 1974, where the nursery was operating. The families and business thrived together. De Luz was a wonderful place to raise trees and children.
Don retired from the family business in 2009. He is now semi-retired, still enjoying his passion of growing avocado trees for fruit sales and a family orchard of various fruits, a vegetable garden and raising chickens for eggs— all of which he delights in sharing with family and friends.
Peggy has given wholeheartedly to the community serving in various clubs, leading Bible studies and mentoring young women. She supported her children in school and sports as room mother, team mom, PTA, and National Charity League.
Don and Peggy treasure their family: Dennis and Tracy, Kevin and Laurie, and Corinna and Michael, and their eleven grandchildren. They are six girls and five boys ranging from 26-16 years of age. They also have three step-grandchildren and spouses and six step-great-grandchildren.
They are thankful to God, their country, family, and their community for the beautiful life they share in Fallbrook. Recently they celebrated fifty-six years of a happy marriage.
