Darley Don Tidwell Sr

Don was a loving husband, as well as a father, papa, and friend. He sometimes went by Don Sr., honey, flyspray (DDT) and Don’t!

Don served in the United States Navy from 1955 to 1957 as a machinist/mechanic. On March 30, 1956, while on leave from the Navy, Don married Viola L. Busby, the love of his life, after dating just one week. He and Viola spent a year in San Diego, California and after his time with the Navy moved back to Texas where they built a life and raised a family in the Dallas Fort Worth area. This past March would have been their 65th wedding anniversary.

Don had a passion for bowling and golf and was an avid Dallas Cowboys football fan. He also enjoyed watching Star Trek and old western movies. He played dominoes and was a pretty good dancer!

Don worked for everything he ever had. First, at the age of 10 years old, he worked at the family tire shop with his brother. After the Navy, he was employed by Greyhound Bus Lines, International Harvester and then Kenworth Transmission. In 1967 he purchased a Phillips 66 gas station which he later sold in order to purchase his first diesel transmission shop in Irving, Texas. He named the shop after himself: Don Tidwell’s Heavy Duty Transmission & Differential Service. His oldest son, Don Tidwell Jr., acts as President of the company now keeping that legacy in the family.

He was preceded in death by his wife Viola Tidwell; his son, Donald Dean Tidwell, and his parents, William and Trula Tidwell.

He is survived by his son Darley Don Tidwell, Jr. and his wife Pam of Athens, Texas, his son Charlie David Tidwell and daughter Connie Darlene Sampson of Grand Prairie, Texas as well as grandchildren Justin Parish Crowder and wife Ashlee of Venus, Texas and Kaylee Sampson of Grand Prairie, Texas along with great grandchildren Carson Don and Emma Nicole-Lucille Crowder of Venus, Texas.