Donald Pafford Obituary

Donald James Pafford

April 29, 1940 -

June 5, 2025

Donald James Pafford passed away June 5, 2025, at Lakeridge Rehabilitation Center in Johnson City. He was born April 29, 1940, in Atkins, Virginia, the fourth of twelve children born to Josephine and Marvin (M.C.) Pafford, Sr. He grew up in the Lynn Garden community and graduated from Lynn View High School. He became a basketball legend, once scoring a record-setting 39 points that stood for years in a game that Bill Lane of the Kingsport Times-News referred to in 2008 as "one of the most fascinating games ever played between Sullivan County high schools - Lynn View versus Ketron in the 1957-1958 season." He was also a crackerjack baseball player, batting 300 and once hitting a 500-foot homerun at the old Dobyns Bennett field. He made All-Upper Lakes and All-Rotherwood in both basketball and baseball while at Lynn View. Don was a proud veteran, serving as an MP in the US Army at Fort Bliss, Texas. He had a successful career in the electronics and office machine fields, working in Washington, DC, Japan, and Maryland before returning to the Kingsport area, eventually becoming the owner of Typewriter and Equipment Company. He was a volunteer firefighter and first responder for many years while living in Sullivan Gardens. In 1969 he married Patsy Geraldine Arnold, who passed away in 2003. Later, he was incredibly fortunate to meet the love of his life, Judith Deskins and they were gifted with many happy years together. In addition to his parents and wife, he was preceded in death by his infant daughter, Sarah Rae, his brothers Marvin Pafford, Jr. and Ronald Pafford, and sisters Geraldine Pafford Dickey and Shirley Pafford Mulhall Raum. In addition to his precious Judith, he is survived by his sons, James and Jason, brothers Rick Pafford and John Pafford, sisters Theda Pafford Jennings, Vicki Pafford Pendergrass, Peggy Pafford Lifford, Sandra Pafford Delaney, and Janet Pafford Lester; and many, many nieces and nephews.

To his brothers and sisters, Don was always known as "Tom", a nickname he got as a newborn because he was small and red and somebody said, "he looks like a tommy-toe." It stuck. At least one of his younger sisters argued with her first-grade teacher that she had no brother named Don. He was always a rock for family and friends, but to his younger siblings he was a superhero. His passing leaves a hole in all our hearts. A private service is planned for a later date.