Born on October 17, 1925 in Oneonta, he was the son of the late Raymond and Leona (Utter) Barbin. Don was predeceased by his two sisters, Doris Moore of New Hartford, NY and Alice Colwell of Oneonta. He is survived by his daughter, Lindakaye Barbin of Cortland, and his son and daughter-in-law, Denise and Donald Raymond Barbin, Jr. of Wake Forest, North Carolina.
Don was very proud of his military service. He enlisted in the United States Navy during World War II and served as a Radioman aboard the Admiral’s flagship, the USS Panamint. He saw action during his time in the Navy, including the battle at Okinawa.
After being honorably discharged from the Navy and several years spent working as a carpenter, Don spent 35 years working for Mutual of Omaha where he received many awards for his leadership in both sales and management positions. After leaving Mutual of Omaha, he worked as a financial consultant until his recent retirement in December 2012. Even after retirement he continued to help previous clients in whatever ways he could.
Family was Don’s greatest joy. He cherished the time spent with Linda, Donnie and Denise, and even his ex-wife Shirley. He would spend hours on email, Facebook, and phone calls with his friends, nieces, and nephews, especially his nephew Richard Roberts who kept him abreast of family news and just to talk about how their day was going.
Don’s final resting place will be in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C.
Friends and family may call from 6pm to 8pm on Wednesday, October 23, 2013 and from 11am to Noon on Thursday, October 24, 2013 at the Bookhout Funeral Home, 357 Main Street, Oneonta. Funeral services will be held at Noon following the calling hour on Thursday, with the Rev. Teresa Sivers, officiating.
In lieu of flowers, Don’s family requests that donations please be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675.
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