Donald McFarland

Donald J. McFarland

July 29, 1933 – February 7, 2026

Donald J. “Don” McFarland, 92, died Saturday, February 7, 2026 at his home in Prairie Hill, TX.

A celebration of his life will be held Friday, Feb 13th, at Bellmead Funeral Home. Visitation will begin at 10 am, followed by the service at 11:15. Burial will follow in the afternoon at Prairie Hill Cemetery at 2:30 pm

Don was born July 29, 1933, to D.J. and Marie McFarland in Prairie Hill. He graduated from Prairie Hill High School and attended Tarleton State College before graduating from what is now North Texas State University in 1955. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Air Force later that summer. After pilot training, his first assignment was Tachikawa AB, Japan, where he and wife Mary Alice had their first child, daughter Allison. After a tour at Naha AB, Okinawa, he was stationed at Randolph AFB in San Antonio, TX; son Adam was born during that time. The family then moved to Warner Robins, GA, for his assignment to Robins AFB. He served in Vietnam in 1966, where he flew reconnaissance missions and directed air strikes in support of operations by other pilots. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and several Air Medals for extraordinary and meritorious service as Air Liaison Officer and Forward Air Controller.

Following his service in Vietnam, he returned to Robins where he served as an instructor pilot and Chief of Flying Safety. In 1970, he left fulltime active duty and joined the Air Force Reserve unit at Dobbins AFB, Marietta, GA. Between 1970 and 1981, he flew all over the world in missions that included supporting the US Army Golden Knights Parachute Team, as well as trips to Vietnam, Europe, Guam, Argentina, Brazil, and Iran. He often said that his most interesting assignment was a USDA project that involved dropping sterile screw worm flies to help eradicate the invasive species affecting livestock in Puerto Rico.

Don retired from the Air Force as a Lt. Colonel in 1981 with thousands of hours of flying time; he worked for several years with the FAA in Charlotte, NC, and San Antonio, TX. From 1984 to 2003, he enjoyed lake life on Lake Belton. For the last twenty or so years of his life, he lived next door to his beloved sister, Janet Shook. They shared coffee each morning while he worked the crossword puzzle and she did the word jumble.

Flying was not just a job for Don, it was the love of his life. A life member of the Experimental Aircraft Association and the Antique Airplane Association, he built, restored, and flew antique aircraft in his younger days. In retirement, he enjoyed visiting his children and grandchildren, travel, genealogy, reading, doing crossword puzzles, and watching British murder mystery shows.

Don was preceded in death by his parents, D.J. and Marie McFarland; brother-in-law Otho Glen Shook; his son, Adam McFarland; and great-nephew Cole Shook.

Survivors include his daughter, Allison Wilcox and husband Neal of Midland, Michigan; daughter-in-law Kari McFarland Tschech of Van Dyne, Wisconsin; grandson, Connor Wilcox also of Midland; granddaughter, Johanna Wilcox, husband Stephen Piasta, and great-grandson Cillian Piasta-Wilcox all of Medford, Mass; and his former wife, Mary Alice London Holland of Warner Robins, Ga. Also surviving are sister Janet Shook of Waco; nieces and nephews Darlene (Lynn) Janek of Prairie Hill, Donna (Joe) Matoska of Waco, Diane (Danny) Milligan of Burleson, TX; and Richard (Tammy) Shook of Ellijay, GA. He was beloved by many great-nieces and nephews, including Ryan Janek, Sarah Pavelka, Glen Loth, Shea Matoska, Katie Matoska, Cory Matoska, Jana Perrin, Kristine Perrin, Kyle Shook, Kelly Lautenslager, Jennifer Crowder, and Brandon Wilson, as well as their spouses and children.

Special thanks for care at the end of his life to the staff of Right at Home, especially caregivers Elisabeth, Jennifer, Ashley, and Rachel.