Donald Richard Epperson, dedicated husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and man of faith passed away on October 6, 2023, at the age of 84 in his hometown of Texarkana, Texas from late-stage Multiple Myeloma, a bone marrow cancer. His family was by his side, and he is now with his Lord in Heaven.
Donald, the youngest of seven children, was born in Malta, Texas on July 31, 1939, to Madgie and Emit Epperson. He graduated from Texas High School and was a proud member of the great Class of ’57. He graduated with a BBA degree in Accounting from East Texas State University and served as an Auditor in Internal Revenue and Audit Compliance at Red River Army Depot for 30 years where he made many lifelong friends and acquired a catalog of interesting stories. Prior to this, Donald worked as a Scan-a-Graver at the Texarkana Gazette under the supervision of Mr. J.Q. Mahaffey, and this is where he met his loving wife, Judy.
Donald is a long-time member of First Baptist Church Wake Village and Ken’s Sunday School Class. Donald will be remembered for his boundless love for his family, loyalty, deep thoughts, creativity, keen intellect, and dry sense of humor. He enjoyed woodworking, architectural drafting, going on adventures with his “Albright” nieces and nephew, attending the monthly Epperson family boys-only breakfast club, and cheering for the Dallas Cowboys, the Texas Rangers, and the Baylor Bears, but his greatest joy in life was being a father to his look-a-like daughter and a grandfather to his twin granddaughters.
Donald is preceded in death by his parents, his four sisters: Jeanie Albright (Alwyn), Lula Faye Caudle (AJ), Eunice Graham (James), infant Iler Laverne; two brothers Billy Joe (Georgia) and Johnny Lee (Adele), a nephew and a niece, and two great-nephews. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Judy; his only child and daughter, Amy, and her husband, Phillip of Dallas; cherished granddaughters, Olivia “Liv” and Eleanor “Elle”; many special nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.
A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, 2:00 p.m. at Chapelwood Funeral Home Chapel, Nash, Texas followed by Burial Services at Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Texarkana, Arkansas. The family will receive friends during a Visitation at Chapelwood Funeral Home on Tuesday evening, October 10th from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to First Baptist Church Wake Village, 820 Wake Village, TX 75501, or Hospice of Texarkana at www.hospiceoftexarkana.org/online-giving.
