Donald Earl Houston

Funeral service for Donald Earl Houston, age 82, of Decatur will be 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at Parkway Funeral Home Chapel.  The family will receive friends for one hour prior to service.  Interment will be in Mount Hope Methodist Church Cemetery.  Guestbook available at www.parkwayfunerals.com.

Donald Earl Houston, 82, of Decatur, AL, died peacefully, surrounded by his family, on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. Don was born in Colbert County, AL on April 2, 1943,, to parents, Clarence and Allene Houston. Don grew up in Limestone County where he attended school at Belle Mina and Tanner. After attending trade school at Calhoun, he began his career as a barber in 1965 alongside Edsel Hardin at City Barber Shop on Bank Street in Decatur, AL, a job he held for the next 55 years. Don loved his job, loved his community, and loved his customers. Don was many things to many people, barber, friend, cousin, brother, but most of all, he was the epitome of a Christian gentleman. Don was only known to have one hobby and that was serving others. He made countless trips to people’s homes and local nursing homes to give haircuts to those who were unable to come to his shop and on many occasions, he went to a funeral home to give a customer one final trim. Don loved his church and he loved old fashioned gospel music. Don didn’t have a musical bone in his body but that never stopped him from waking up whistling and singing loudly with a smile on his face. The last 18 months of his life, Don battled dementia, and while his memories of people and events faded, he could always remember the lyrics of the hymns he grew up singing in church and he was apt to break out in song no matter where he was or the circumstance he was in at the time.

Don was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Allene Houston, and his brothers, Deloy and Gaylon Houston. He is survived by his sister, Joy Brown and his brother-in-law, James Brown; his sister, Faith Vandiver;, nephews, Derek Brown (Christina), Johnny Houston, Matt Houston, Jeremy Houston (Jennifer), and Eric Barnes (Heather); great-nephews, Houston Brown, Jackson Houston, and Brantley Houston; great-nieces, Cassie Darby, Maven Barnes, and Jillian Houston; and a host of cousins that he loved like brothers and sisters.

Pallbearers will be Derek Brown, Houston Brown, Eric Barnes, Jeremy Houston, Jackson Houston, and George Allen. 

Burial will be beside his parents and brothers at Mount Hope Methodist Church in Mount Hope, AL.

The family would like to thank Elana Clemons and Sheneka Wiggins with Hospice of Valley, and the personnel at NHC in Moulton for the excellent care they provided to him.

In lieu of flowers, you may make donations to Hospice of the Valley or your favorite charity. 
 

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