J. T. Durham

Funeral services for J. T. Durham, 89, West Plains, Missouri, will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, August 26, 2022 in the Rose Chapel of Robertson-Drago Funeral Home.  

Mr. Durham passed away at 2:24 p.m., Thursday, August 18, 2022, at his home surrounded by family.  

He was born May 18, 1933, to Edith Tackitt Durham and Thomas Durham of Bakersfield, Missouri.  He left Bakersfield and joined the United States Air Force and served in Korea.  When he returned home he married Shirley Talley and they had two sons, Rick and Donnie.  J. T. worked at McDonald Douglas Air Craft and lived in Illinois.  Having tired of city life he came back to the West Plains area and began working at Southwest Truck Body and moved to South Fork.  He moved on and started working at the Missouri State Highway Department and remained there for 20 years and was promoted to Crew Leader.  He stayed until he retired, but never stopped working.  On November 24, 1976, he was married at South Fork, Missouri to Faye Stewart.  They worked on the farm and raised cattle until 1982.  J. T. loved the outdoors and loved building things.  He built the home they lived in; if you could dream it, he could build it.  Together they built two shops on their farm.  J. T. also loved playing music.  He started playing bass guitar but fell in love with the steel guitar.  Faye and J. T. both played music in and around West Plains with the Country Express Band.  J. T. also played music with Jim Hicks and the Quick Silver Band, along with his son, Donnie.  Faye retired from music to take care of her mother, but J. T. played until his Parkinson’s took his joy away.  J. T. loved his music and it was really hard for him to give it up.  He retired from the Country Express Band in 2015.  J. T. has gone on to join band members, Paul, Shorty, Tom and Harvey in an everlasting band.  Mr. Durham was a member of the Central Church of Christ, but was baptized by Cliff Stewart who was a minister at the 160 Church of Christ.  He was really happy to find out his friends Pat and Shirley Casey were preaching at Central Church of Christ.  J. T. loved it at Central Church of Christ and made several friends there; he attended services until his health prevented it. 

He is survived by his wife, Faye Durham; two sons, Rick and Donnie; four grandsons; five granddaughters; four great-grandsons; four great-granddaughters; one sister, Dorothy Coldiron; three brothers, Alvie, Tilman and Jimmie Durham; and several nieces and nephews. 

His parents, one grandson, Ricky Jay Durham, one great-granddaughter, Ella Faye Whittington, four sisters, Flonnie Durham, Linda Brewer, Marzie Cropper, Margie Horton, five brothers, Oscar Durham, Thomas Durham, Hamen Durham, John Eddy Durham and Huey Durham, preceded him in death.  

Visitation will be held from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m., Thursday, at Robertson-Drago Funeral Home.  Burial will be at Baptist Hill Cemetery.  Memorial contributions may be made to Baptist Hill Cemetery and may be left at or mailed to Robertson-Drago Funeral Home, 211 West Main, West Plains, MO  65775.