Duby Todd - (1934-2012)
(1934 – 2012)
Duby Darnell Todd, of Kempner, Texas, passed away on October 25th, 2012, after a brief illness. His loving wife of 55 years, Lucy, and his son Bobby were at his side at the time of his passing.
Funeral services for Major Duby Todd were held Monday, October 29, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in Kempner with burial to follow on Tuesday at Resthaven Memorial Park in Lubbock.
Duby was a regular attendee at Pearl Bluegrass and he often played his guitar and sang on-stage with the Star Gang. He served as a Deacon and treasurer at First Baptist Church of Kempner where he and Lucy were active members. In his membership in the church choir he discovered a talent for singing and developed a passion for performing as a gospel singer. Through his rich baritone voice and self-accompaniment on guitar, he shared both his faith in the Lord and his love of music with thousands of people through performances at local and regional venues, and he particularly enjoyed performing at local retirement homes and assisted living facilities.
Duby was born in Ury, West Virgina, on July 22nd 1934 and was raised by his adoptive parents Calvin and Nettie Todd in West Virginia and North Carolina. After graduation from high school, Maj. Todd worked briefly at Western Electric in Greensboro, NC and served in the US Army National Guard before being accepted by the US Air Force Aviation Cadet program. Maj. Todd earned his Air Force wings at Reese AFB, Lubbock, Texas, in 1956 and served his country honorably until his retirement in 1975. While undergoing pilot training in Lubbock Maj. Todd met Lucy Collins, and the two were married in Lubbock on March 3rd, 1957. During his Air Force career, Maj. Todd flew as a pilot and Aircraft Commander on KC-97, KC-135, EC-135 "Looking Glass," and RC-135 "Rivet Joint" aircraft, and was a veteran of the Viet Nam conflict in which he served as Aircraft Commander on EC-47 aircraft stationed at Tan Son Nhut Air Base in Saigon.
After retirement from the Air Force in 1975, Maj. Todd embarked on a 19-year second career with Texas Instruments in Lubbock and Dallas, Texas. At TI he held positions as Manufacturing Supervisor, Engineering Technician, Engineer, and Marketing Product Manager. During this time he achieved a long-held goal of completing his college education, earning a B.S. in 1984 and MBA in 1988.
Maj. Todd retired from Texas Instruments in 1994 and settled in Kempner, Texas with his wife Lucy, where he continued to pursue his interests in electronics and business through part-time employment as a teacher at Central Texas College and as a broadcast engineer for area television stations.
Maj. Todd is survived by his beloved wife Lucy Todd (ne Collins) and their three sons, Bobby of San Francisco, California; Joseph, of College Station, Texas; and Mitch, of Plano, Texas; and four grandchildren, Maegan Todd of Denton, Texas; Carson Todd and Asher Todd, both of College Station, Texas; and Miku Aoshima of Tokyo, Japan
