Mr. Donald Harold Barbee, Sr., 84, of Elkhart, passed away peacefully of natural causes on Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 3:42 pm while convalescing at Elkhart General Hospital.
Don was born in Paris, Kentucky on August 7, 1939 to the late J.L. and Gladys (Harper) Barbee, and married the love of his life, Shirley J. (Streetman), on October 20, 1961 in Elkhart. Shirley was everything to Don, and she survives him at home after 62 beautiful years together.
Also surviving Don are his sons, Donald H. Barbee, Jr. of Elkhart and Kevin W. (Ashley) Barbee of Nesbit, Mississippi; sisters Judy Tidwell of Savannah, Tennessee and Candy (Jeremy) Butt of Florence, Kentucky; grandchildren Donald H. (Brittany) Barbee III and Jensen Rain Edsall of Elkhart; Avery and Addison Barbee of Nesbit, and great granddaughter Khloe N. Edsall of Elkhart. Along with his parents, Don is preceded in death by brothers J.C. and Darrell Barbee and sisters Sandra Adkinson, Shirley Meyers and Penny Matlock.
Don was an honorably discharged US Air Force veteran, serving in the Military Police at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas and in England. He also retired as a supervisor from the US Post Office in Elkhart in 2007 after 45 years there. He was no stranger to hard work and was even proud of the fact that he never used a sick day in all of the years he was at the post office.
Don had a well developed sense of humor and loved to get folks laughing with his well-timed “dad” jokes and silly songs that he was known to make up. He also had a deep appreciation for classic cars and was a devoted little league coach for years.
In accordance with his wishes, Don is to be cremated and then returned home to be with his family. No immediate services have been scheduled and Billings Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Elkhart have been assisting the family with arrangements.
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