Donald Charles Dailey, a native of Marshfield, Missouri, the son of the late George W. and Virgie Dailey. He was a lifelong resident of Springfield until retirement when winters were spent in California. He was a graduate of Marshfield High School and Southwest Missouri State University (Missouri State). He enlisted in the Air Force in 1951 and served on active duty during the Korean War. His broadcasting career started while still in college at KDMO, Carthage, Missouri and KWTO in Springfield. In 1955 he joined KGBX in Springfield and became Vice President and General Manager. Later he became President and co-owner of Mark Twain Media which owned KHMO in Hannibal, MO and 50% of KYTV, Channel 3, in Springfield. After the sale of those properties in 1979 and 1985 he was President of D/W Investors, an investment and media brokerage firm. He was the broker for the sale of several well-known AM and FM radio stations in Missouri and Kansas during that time. He was twice elected to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Broadcasters representing Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska. He served as National Chairman of the 50th Anniversary of Broadcasting in 1970. He received the Distinguished Service in Journalism Award from the University of Missouri and the Missouri Broadcaster Distinguished Service Award during his career. He was a past Springfieldian of the year. He served as President of the Greene County Cancer Society, the Missouri Cancer Society, the SMSU Alumni Association, Hickory Hills Country Club, and the boards of the Community Foundation, the Board of Trustees of Drury College and Mercantile Bank (U.S. Bank) and Ironwood Country Club of Palm Desert, California. He was active in many local and state organizations and was Past President of Cox Medical Center. He served as President of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of the Industrial Development Committee of the 1960's and early '70s and was instrumental in acquiring 3M, MD Pneumatics, Zenith, GE, Fasco, R.T. French, and other major employers for Springfield. In 2006, he received the Missourian Award.

He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Virginia Pummill Dailey of the home, two sons, Dr. John C. Dailey and wife LaKay of Siloam Springs, Arkansas and Steve W. Dailey of Overland Park, Kansas.

Visitation will be from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM, Saturday, March 16, 2019 in Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home.

Memorial gifts may be made to the following at Missouri State: Crystal Evans Pummill Scholarship; Don C. and Virginia P. Dailey Scholarship for Mathematics Education; Lawrence E. and Crystal Evans Pummill Scholarship; Don C. Dailey Student Training Awards.