Donald W. "Don" Tisdale, 90, of Springfield passed away Tuesday, January 19, 2010 in The Maples Care Center. Don was born May 7, 1919 in Buckhannon, West Virginia to Wilbur Morton Tisdale and Anna Paisley Tisdale. He was a 1937 graduate of Springfield Senior High and a 1941 graduate of Missouri State University. After teaching school for a year in Ellington, Mo., he joined the Federal Aviation Administration in Washington D.C. in 1942. He entered the U.S. Naval Air Corps in 1943 and returned to the F.A.A. following World War II. He and his wife, the former Phyllis Shirk, of Springfield, were married November 2, 1945. Don retired in 1982 with over 40 years of service with the F.A.A. They returned to Springfield from Fairfax, Va. in 1998. Don was a Mason and a member of the Abou Ben Adhem Shrine and was active in the Shrine Band. Don was an accomplished musician and played trombone. He began his career playing in swing bands in the Springfield area and then graduated to the Washington Civic Symphony Orchestra and the Fairfax County Symphony. He was a longtime member of the Experimental Aircraft Association and built two experimental aircrafts. He was also an active member of Gideons International and served as a Camp Leader. In Springfield he was a member of Schweitzer United Methodist Church. In addition to his parents, Don was preceded in death by a brother, Howard Tisdale; and an infant sister, Glenna. He is survived by his wife, Phyllis Shirk Tisdale; two daughters, Stephany Tisdale and husband, Cary Barneycastle of Wake Forest, N.C. and Dr. Nancy Dain O'Reilly and husband, Larry of Springfield, Mo.; two sons, Bradford W. Tisdale, M.D. and wife, Susan of Virginia Beach, Va. and Douglas W. Tisdale and wife, Martha of Mesa, Arizona; eight grandchildren, Lauren O'Reilly, Leigh Flisher, Ragan O'Reilly, Adam Tisdale, Christopher Tisdale, Mark Tisdale, Colin Tisdale and Ashley Tisdale; five great-grandchildren Alexis O'Reilly, Isabel Flisher, Dain Flisher, Patty June Flisher and Sky O'Reilly. A celebration of the life of Donald W. Tisdale will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, January 23, 2010 in Gorman-Scharpf Brentwood Chapel with the Reverend Lori Lampert officiating. Visitation will follow the service. Private burial will be in Maple Park Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Gideons International, Springfield South Camp, P.O. Box 4221. Springfield, Mo. 65808.