Donald Paul Huckeby

June 26, 1933~May 3, 2025

Donald Paul Huckeby passed from this life into the arms of Jesus on May 3, 2025, at the age of 91. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at 10 am at Central Baptist Church in Jonesboro under the direction of Gregg-Langford Bookout Funeral Home.

Don was born in Fort Collins, Colorado, to Hadley Minor Huckeby and Harriet Eleanor (Buffum) Huckeby, as the youngest of three children, joining his brother Richard and sister Eleanor. Don graduated from Denver (Colorado) South High School in 1951, where he was in Junior ROTC and sang in the choral group. In the summer of 1945, Don stayed with his maternal grandparents in Sheridan, Wyoming, and due to a shortage of men to work for the county road department, drove a dump truck as a 12 year old. According to his sister Eleanor, he was insufferable to live with after spending the summer doing "man's work."

Don joined the U.S. Air Force in 1953. He was stationed in St. Louis, where he met his future wife, Evelyn Frances Schwarz, at a USO dance. They were married on February 19, 1955, and celebrated their 70th anniversary in February of 2025.

After he completed his military service, he and Evelyn moved to Fort Collins where Don enrolled in the civil engineering program at Colorado State University.  His son Ronald Joseph was born in 1958, followed by their daughter Donna Ann in 1959. Donna was born with Epidermolysis Bullosa, a rare skin disease. The doctors had little hope of Donna surviving but Don and Evelyn didn't give up hope, and Donna lived a full life for 20 ½ years. Don graduated from college with a B.S. in Civil Engineering in 1960.

1965, Don used his GI Bill to get his private pilot's license. Over the next few years, he completed his flying hours and earned his commercial pilot's license with an instrument flight rating. Between 1972 and 2005, Don owned four airplanes, starting with a Cessna 170B, followed by a Piper Archer and 2 Beechcraft Bonanzas.

Don went to work for the U.S. Forest Service in the Denver area and was transferred to Sheridan, Wyoming in January 1962. While living in Sheridan, Don and Evelyn's third child, daughter Jane Marie, was born in 1963.

In 1970, Don began working in the strip coal mining industry. This was an industry he would remain in until 1986, building or operating coal mines in Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota.

During this time, Don had several life events, including the death of his daughter Donna due to kidney failure that led him to realize that he could not do life on his own, and in 1980, he made a commitment of Christian faith, making Jesus Christ his Lord and Savior. Don pursued a life of commitment and service to Jesus for the rest of his days.

In 1986, Don and Evelyn moved to Evelyn's home area of Jonesboro, Arkansas, where he worked as a civil engineer for City Water and Light until his retirement in 1996.

Don's lifelong passion for aviation and machinery was then satisfied with enrollment in airframe and powerplant mechanics school in Pocahontas, Arkansas. After Don earned his A&P certificate in 1998, they pulled up stakes and landed in Butte, Montana, to be near their six grandchildren who had been born to their son Ron and his wife Susan.

With the unknown threat of the "Y2K" computer bug looming in July 1999, Don and Evelyn moved to Eckert, Colorado, where "they could grow some food if things got bad." Again, they joined the community, being active in their church and Don in the local aviation community.

In 2000, Don's daughter Jane and her husband and their 6 children moved from California to Eckert. Don and Evelyn lived next door to them for many years until 2021, when they moved from Eckert back to Jonesboro. There, Don was active in the men's groups at Central Baptist Church. He spent time with Evelyn's nieces and nephews and helped anyone he could.

Over the years after retirement, Don and Evelyn spent time with their 12 grandchildren as they grew up, traveled, helped in disaster relief and were active serving in their church.

He is survived by his wife, Evelyn; son Ron (Susan) Huckeby of Butte, Montana; daughter Jane (Rick) Schaefer of Eckert, Colorado; grandchildren Joshua Huckeby, Sarah Huckeby, Rebecka Huckeby, Rachel Krug, Lydia Mortenson, Andrew Huckeby, Timothy DaCosta, Andrew DaCosta, Patrick DaCosta, Scott DaCosta, and Christian DaCosta, and 10 great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Richard Huckeby; daughter, Donna Ann Huckeby; son-in-law, Russell Louis DaCosta; and grandson Ryan Louis DaCosta.

Memorials may be made to DEBRA.org, a support organization to improve the life of those suffering with Epidermolysis Bullosa.