Mr. Donald Lee "Don" Hurst, Sr., 73, died Tuesday, April 14, 2009 at Maury Regional Medical Center.


Funeral services conducted at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home with Rev. Dave Bradley and Rev. Hugh Cunningham officiating.

Burial in Polk Memorial Gardens.

A native of New Albany, Indiana, he was the son of Wressie McKinley Hurst Stotts of Clarksville, Indiana and the late Farris Hurst.

On November 21, 1953 he married Martha Ann Fitch Hurst who preceded him in death on April 22, 1977.

He married Kathryn Atkins Hurst of Columbia on July 16, 1994.

He was a 1953 graduate of Georgetown High School in Georgetown, Indiana. A sports enthusiast, he was elected to the Indiana Hall of Fame in 1953 for most points scored in a basketball game. He was also on the High School Baseball team. After his high school graduation, he was employed by Shaw Chemical in Jefferson, Indiana and transferred to Hooker Chemical Company in Dallas, Texas in January 1957. He later transferred to the Columbia Plant in 1960 and retired on August 30, 1988 from Occidental Chemical with a total of thirty-four years service. When working for Hooker Chemical, he continued his love of sports on the company softball team. Mr. Hurst loved woodworking, hunting, fishing, gardening, and sports of all kinds, mostly watching Drew, Zack, Hanna and Taylor play baseball, softball and basketball after his retirement. He was the chief umpire for Columbia Parks & Recreation for several years. He was a member of Craft Memorial United Methodist Church where he sang in the choir.

In addition to his wife and mother, he is survived by five children, Vicki Hurst (Jerry) Mayberry of Columbia; Melinda Earl (Kevin) Conwell of Erin; Andrew (Louellen) Earl, Jr. of Columbia; Donald Lee (Kim) Hurst, Jr. of Summertown; Anita Earl (Tom) Gad of Hendersonville; foster brother, Billie (Martha) Park of Cocoa, Florida; four granddaughters, Misty Mayberry (Troy) Coffee of Manchester; Hanna Earl of Columbia; Rebecca Gad of Hendersonville; Laura Conwell of Erin; nine grandsons, Tracy Mayberry of Columbia; Patrick (Sarah) Conwell of Greenbrier; Matthew (Michelle) Conwell of Clarksville; Mark Conwell of Clarksville; Andrew "Drew" Earl of Columbia; Taryn Davis of Hendersonville, Zackary Earl of Columbia; Taylor Hurst of Summertown; Thomas Gad of Hendersonville; four great grandchildren, Brittany Castle, Alexie Castle, Shyanene Mayberry and Ashlei Coffee; and several nieces and nephews in Indiana.

His grandsons will serve as pallbearers.

Honorary pallbearers will be Cliff Cadle, Ray Gibson, retirees from Occidental Chemical Company, Regional Umpires Associations, and members of Craft Memorial United Methodist Church Choir.