Don Leston Egger

Don Leston Egger age 84, of Arkadelphia, passed away Monday, February 9, 2015 in Arkadelphia. He was born October 13, 1930 at Cherry Hill, Arkansas, the son of Tedie Monroe and Willia Ruby Hoover Egger. He graduated from Mena High School in 1948. He attended Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia. It was there in Magnolia that he met and married Delphia Ray Foster. They were residents of Magnolia until 1978 when they moved to Arkadelphia. He was a member of Second Baptist Church of Arkadelphia where he served as a deacon and as a Greeter/Usher. He is past President of the Columbia Association for Retarded Children. Don was instrumental in securing funds, organizing, planning and building the first community based training center for the Mentally Retarded in Magnolia and Columbia County. He also served as regional Vice-President and later as secretary for the State ARC. He assisted in organizing a Parents Group (later re-named Voluntary Council) at the Arkadelphia Human Development Center. He served as co-chair the first year of its organization. He served as a member of the Group Living, Inc. board in Arkadelphia for a number of years as a board member, one term as Vice-President and two terms as President. He volunteered untold hours to working with Group Living's clients. He served on the Governor's Developmental Disabilities Planning Council and later as a member of the Developmental Disabilities Services Board for Arkansas. He was a member of the Arkansas Army National Guard for over 43 years, retiring in 1990 as a Chief Warrant Officer, W-4. He was a Civil Service employee for the National Guard for 35 years, having worked on the campus at Southern Arkansas University 25 years as a Unit Administrative Supply Technician. The last 10 years of employment he was based at Camp Robinson as an Auditor. He was a member of the National Guard Association of Arkansas and the National Guard Association of the United States. His military awards include The Army Commendation Medal, The Meritorious Service Medal, The Army Achievement Medal, The Army Components Achievement Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 3 devices, The Arkansas Service Award with 8 devices. He was preceded in death by a brother, John S. Egger of Nashville, Ark. He is survived by his wife, Delphia Ray Egger, son, Gary Don Egger all of Arkadelphia; sisters, Mary Lou Byford of Waldron, Ark., and Karen Walters of Mena, Ark.; sisters-in-law, Sherma Ann McWilliams and her husband, Jim, of Magnolia, Ark., and Jeannie Egger of Nashville, Ark., along with numerous nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Thursday, February 12 at Second Baptist Church with Bro. Stan Parris officiating under the direction of Ruggles-Wilcox Funeral Home. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until service time at the Church. Burial with Military Honors will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Hephzibah Cemetery near Magnolia. Honorary pallbearers will be Deacons of Second Baptist Church along with members and former members of the Arkansas Army and Air National Guard of Arkansas. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Group Living, Inc. of Arkadelphia (Lucas Gardens), Second Baptist Church of Arkadelphia (Building Fund), Arkadelphia Human Development Center's Volunteer Council or the Columbia Association for Retarded Citizens of Magolia. Sign online guestbook at www.ruggleswilcox.com.