DR. DON HARTSFIELD, 76, joined his Heavenly
Father early morning on Aug. 1, 2023, with burial
in Central Texas State Veteran Cemetery at Killeen.
Don was born in the small town of Ranger, TX and
was primarily brought up by his grandmother, Ethel
Johnson. Don was raised with his 3 older sisters
and his younger brother.
After graduating from Ranger High School in the
Class of 1965, enlisting into the U.S. Army a
second time, 4 years later, where he went on to
get a doctorate in dental science, which began
his true calling and lifelong career.
He would frequently go on mission trips with his
church, traveling around the world and providing
free dental work to people that were not able to
afford it. Along with traveling, he truly enjoyed
being outdoors - golfing, skiing, skydiving, yard
work, or just sitting in a chair in the sun with
his dogs and cats. Hiking was one of his favorites
and Big Bend National Park was his home away from
home as he'd vacation there with friends and family
multiple times a year.
Don never met a person that he considered a stranger.
He always made people laugh and had a contagious
smile. At the end of a conversation, it would more
than likely finish with him saying a prayer. First
and foremost, he was a strong follower of Jesus
Christ and was never ashamed to share his faith.
Even with the time he spent in the hospital, he
would be praying for the nurses, doctors, and even
the chaplains. He continued to influence and touch
lives until his last day. He was a proud American
patriot and loved this country dearly. He always
had an American flag flying outside his home along
with wearing anything patriotic or camouflage. You
could guarantee that every 4th of July he would be
listening to Lee Greenwood's "Proud to be an American"
and would send the music video to his family and
friends as a reminder as to why we celebrate that
holiday.
He is survived by his wife of 24 years, Dorothy
Hartsfield; two daughters, Lisa Hartsfield and Lori
Hartsfield-Hunt; sons in law, Ryan Hunt and Tony
Palesano; two stepsons and their spouses, Dr. Chris
and Joy Estepp; Michael and Mandy Estepp; along with
2 of his sisters, Betty Lincoln and Mary Railston.
Lastly, he is survived by his greatest joys, his 11
grandchildren - Cooper, Madison, Ty, Rylan, Andrew,
Fischer, Lillian, Laylan, Ash, Juanito, and Monica
(Jazz)
Don joins the following in Heaven: His mother, Lillian
Hartsfield; brother, Dr. Dowell Hartsfield (RHS-1967);
sister, Patricia Haltom Bohler (RHS-1951); & brothers-
in-law, Bobby Bohler, Mike Railston, and Joe Lincoln.