Obituaries

Don Richard Elliott Sr.

Photo of Don  Richard Elliott Sr.
Don Richard Elliott Sr., age 87, of Rogers, Arkansas, went home to be with his Heavenly Father on the 16th day of January, 2017. He was born in Camden, Arkansas, on October 20, 1929, to Wyley Madison and Ruby Irene Elliott. He graduated from Paris High School in 1947. Don Richard Elliott Sr., attended Ouachita Baptist University where he met his sweetheart and married Ella Almeda Park on August 6, 1950. He obtained a Physical Education Degree in 1951 at Ouachita Baptist University He entered the Army as a Second Lieutenant and was stationed in Germany from 1952 through 1953. After returning to the United States, he took the job as the football coach at Bentonville High School. While in Bentonville, he obtained a Master's Degree in Education Administration from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. After coaching, he served as Principal of Bentonville High School until 1959. He then moved to Morrilton where he was Principal of Morrilton High School until 1963. In 1963 he moved to Cabot as the Superintendent of Cabot Public Schools. After 22 years as Superintendent of the Cabot School District, he served as Educational Liaison for Governor Bill Clinton and was the Mayor of Cabot. He served in the Arkansas National Guard and retired as a Colonel in 1985. In 1986 he and Almeda traveled to Zhengzhou and Yantai, China as lay missionaries and taught conversational English to medical students. They also served in Hong Kong for one year. He is a member of Cross Church of Rogers, Arkansas. Previously, he served as a Deacon at First Baptist Church of Bentonville, First Baptist Church of Morrilton, and First Baptist Church of Cabot. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Ella Almeda Park Elliott. He is also survived by four sons and their wives, Don Richard Elliott, Jr., and Mona of Fayetteville, Steve John Elliott and Debbie of Little Rock, Arkansas, Wyley Alan Elliott and Stephanie of Bentonville, and Mark Edward Elliott and Erica of Melbourne, Florida, fourteen grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister, Laura Elliott Threet and her husband, Ed Threet of Albuquerque, New Mexico, along with brother-in-law Aubrey Park and his wife Norma Park of Rolla, Missouri. He was preceded in death by his parents of Paris, Arkansas, and his brother, Wyley J. Elliott of Camden, Arkansas. Funeral Services will be held at 1 p.m., Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at Cross Church at Pinnacle Hills in Rogers with Pastor Nick Floyd officiating. The family will receive friends immediately following the service. Private burial will be held at Pinnacle Memorial Gardens Cemetery preceding the service with full military honors provided. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to the Cabot Scholarship Foundation of which he was deeply involved in forming or to the Cross Church Missions NWA. Arrangements have been entrusted to Stockdale-Moody Funeral Services of Rogers. Words of comfort or memories may be shared at stockdalefuneral.com.

Published January 17, 2017

Upcoming Events