Donald Wayne Gentry Sr. || Obituary

Donald Wayne Gentry Sr., a man who never met a stranger and could play almost anything with strings, passed away on February 25, 2025, surrounded by his loving family at Covenant Medical Center in Lubbock, Texas. He was 86 years young.

Born on January 22, 1939, Don’s life was a tapestry of stories, collections of passion projects, and the occasional wild hair. Don kept life—and his loved ones—full of surprises.

After graduating from Delmar High School, Don set out on a grand tour of West Texas, dabbling in just about every line of work imaginable — industrial manufacturing, operating a local grocery store, running the famed Chicken Box restaurant — before eventually returning to his beloved hometown of Paris in 1983 to join Kimberly-Clark.

His real passions, however, spilled into the “side gigs” that made him legendary in certain circles: he was a quickdraw and trick-shooting aficionado (it’s best not to ask how many tin cans he terrorized over the years), an enthusiastic hobby gardener, a domino ace at the Pattonville Community Center, and a talented woodworker. He crafted duck calls that could fool even the most suspicious mallard, walking canes sturdy enough to support a man and his stories, and keepsake boxes overflowing with memories. You name it, he made it.

In his later years, Don studied under a luthier, producing handcrafted violins that sang under his skilled fingers on many a bluegrass stage.

Don’s love for music was infectious, leading him to teach his wife Peggy to play the electric bass guitar. Together with their friends, they formed the Broadway Junction Band, entertaining from the shop behind their home where weekend jam sessions became the stuff of local legend. He could coax a tune out of anything with strings – except the banjo, which he claimed he “never could get the finger roll to sound right.” Those who knew him suspected it was the only challenge his hands ever met that they couldn’t overcome.

It has been said that if you found a boot on the side of the highway, you’d call Don, and he might have the other one or know someone who was missing it. This uncanny ability to connect people and things was part of his charm.

He will be remembered for his love of music, his boundless creativity, and the countless Gentry-isms he coined along the way. May his heavenly workshop be fully stocked, and may his fiddles never go out of tune.

Farewell, Don — you were one colorful character, and you left the rest of us a bit more colorful in your wake.

Don is survived by his wife Peggy, and sister Linda Caviness; daughter Deb Love and her husband Marvin; son Donny and his wife LeAnne; stepdaughter Jamie Tadlock and her husband Bobby; stepson Jackie Thomas and his wife Betty; ten grandchildren; and twenty great-grandchildren who will carry forward his unique blend of curiosity, wit, and vigor for life.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests picking up a fiddle, making something with your hands, or simply striking up a conversation with a stranger – Don would have wanted it that way.

A memorial graveside service has been set for Saturday, March 22, 2025 at 1:00 PM at Shady Grove Cemetery with Dr. James McLeod officiating.  No formal visitation has been scheduled.

Online condolences may be sent to the Gentry family by visiting www.fry-gibbs.com