Deltan Gene Washburn (76) of Springfield, MO left his earthly body for his eternal destination Saturday, November 17, 2018 after a courageous battle with cancer. Even though he has been healed he leaves family and friends with mixed emotions, celebrating his healing and yet mourning their loss. Mr. Washburn was born on June 27, 1942 in Holdrege, NE to Arrice and Hannah (Lang) Washburn. He spent his childhood years helping on the family farm in northwest Kansas. He attended high school in Norton, KS where he met and courted his future wife, the former Jean Heaton. After graduating in the class of 1960, Deltan worked in a Ford garage in Cambridge, NE and then enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1962. He and Jean were married December 22, 1963 and were about to celebrate their 55 ^th anniversary. After leaving full time military service he continued as a reservist in the Navy until 1989. In 1966, Deltan began a training program at Graff Vo-Technical School in Manhattan, KS while holding jobs in a service station and as a night watchman. Upon graduation from Vo-Tech, he moved his family to Springfield, MO as an employee of the St. Louis – San Francisco Railway. Deltan enjoyed a long career with the railroad, eventually retiring from Engineering Management with the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway in 2004.

Deltan was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife, Jean, and their children Tony Washburn (Lynette) of Newport News, VA, Ron Washburn (Laura) of Joplin, MO, Cary Swadley (Tim) of Springfield, MO, and Marla Dunning (Brad) of Strafford, MO. He is survived by 4 siblings, Janet Pegram (Wendell) of Memphis, TN, Stephen Washburn (Cynthia) of Norton, KS, Roland Washburn (Laura) of Norton, KS, and Kevin Washburn (JoAnn) of Steamboat Springs, CO. He is also survived by one sister-in-law, Judy Robinson (John) of Springfield, MO. Deltan was blessed with 14 grandchildren, one great-grandson, and many nieces and nephews.

Deltan was a quiet man who avoided being the center of attention. He had a true servant's heart and actively enjoyed helping others. He also had a tremendous amount of integrity and seemed impervious to external pressure. He demonstrated an amazing ability to stay focused on his goals while maintaining extreme loyalty to others. His word was his bond and he could not abide by doing or selling something that was less than perfect. These attributes served him well in most cases, but sometimes put him at odds with others and made it hard for him to accept assistance even when needed. He loved his family and friends and tended to show it with nonverbal actions rather than words. His personality and character melded into a person who loved working with his hands and loved being outdoors growing things and nurturing animals. It is in these things that he excelled.

While it is impossible to list all who he counted as influential friends in his entire time on earth, there are some groups and events that stand out as exceptional. He and his family started attending Parkview Christian Church in July 1970 and have many friends and colleagues through relationships nurtured there. Deltan was baptized into Christ as part of that family, served as custodian for a number of years and enjoyed various activities like the TNT class, serving breakfast for Parkview High School students, and cycling with the Parkview Sports Ministry.

He also developed strong friendships through his colleagues at the Frisco and BNSF railways. A special relationship for the whole family started as ride sharing with Louis Street in the 1970s. Deltan and Louis discovered many common interests and eventually became next door neighbors in Elwood, MO. It was Louis who introduced him to the world of dairy goat husbandry. This led Deltan to another group of friends in the Southwest Missouri Dairy Goat Association where he was currently serving as one of the directors. Deltan carefully improved the quality of his herd until he had both the Grand and Reserve Champion at the August 2017 Ozark Empire Fair. This was an accomplishment that pleased him greatly.

His children remember that he set a path and would follow through no matter what obstacles he encountered. He was there for them anytime he was needed, day or night.

Family would like to thank Integrity Hospice and the staff of the 7 ^th floor unit B of Mercy Hospital.

A celebration of life will be held on Friday, November 23, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. at Parkview Christian Church (1362 S. Campbell, Springfield, MO 65807) with a visitation to be held at 1:00 p.m. Burial will follow in White Chapel Memorial Gardens (5234 West State Highway EE, Springfield, MO 65802).

Donations may be made to Parkview Christian Church or Show-Me Christian Youth (24302 Mahin Road, P.O. Box 6, La Monte, MO 65337).