Donald C. Chamblin

Donald Chamblin of Mission, KS, died on December 30, 2023.

Don was born at home on June 26, 1931, in Higginsville, MO, to Lee and Helen (Van Meter) Chamblin. He graduated from Higginsville High School, Class of ’49, and received a BS in Business Administration from Central Missouri State College in 1953. He served in the United States Army from 1953-55 and was stationed in Heidelberg, Germany. Don married his wife, Dorothy (Brock) Chamblin, on November 28, 1959. They met while working together at Cities Service Oil Company. He was captivated by her beautiful smile and she with his graceful dancing. He worked for 30 years for the United States Department of Agriculture, from which he retired as the Assistant Market Administrator in 1992. After retirement, he enjoyed being civically engaged and served the City of Mission, KS, as city treasurer for 20 years.

Don was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Nancy (Chamblin) Bair, and his son, Donald Arthur Chamblin. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Dorothy; his son Doug; his daughters, Diane Utz (Mike), Denise Beauchamp, and Dana Chamblin; his daughter-in-law Dawn Brewer Chamblin; his sister El Dean (Chamblin) Tatom (Jerry); 10 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, friends, and neighbors, who loved him dearly.

Don (“Red”) loved to regale his friends and family with memories of his small town boyhood, including adventures with the colorful Higginsville characters, participation in the Boy Scouts Tribe of Mic-O-Say, and becoming an avid hunter, trapper and fisherman. In retirement, his life revolved around travel and family. He loved planning a good trip, and he and Dorothy became avid travelers. They took their pop-up camper all over the country, spending countless summers exploring the mountains of Colorado. One of their most memorable road trips was the two summers they spent following the Lewis and Clark expedition. Don loved exploring the world, eventually visiting 6 of the 7 continents. Many winters were spent in Thailand and across Southeast Asia. When home, he continued to explore by reading about history and adventure. He enjoyed sharing stories about his travels and watching the evening news with a glass of red wine.

The family would like to thank the staff of St. Luke’s Hospital ICU and St. Luke’s Hospice House for their care during the last week of his life.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Don’s name to St. Pius X Catholic Church or Friends of Johnson County Mental Health .

A visitation will be held at Amos Family Funeral Home in Shawnee, KS, on January 4th from 5-7pm.

A funeral mass will be held at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Mission, KS, on January 5th at 10:30 a.m., followed by an interment at Resurrection Catholic Cemetery in Lenexa, KS.