Donnie Lee Hembree, 79, of Ozark, Missouri departed this life at 10:38 p.m. on July 25, 2023, in his home surrounded by his family.

Don was born January 25, 1944, in Stone County, near Reeds Spring, Missouri, to Pauline Fausett Hembree and Dewey Hembree. He and his brother, Paul Eugene Hembree, were two of the first fishing guides on Table Rock Lake. He attended Reeds Spring High School where he met his wife of 59 years, Sharon Wolfe Hembree. After graduating from Reeds Spring High, he attended Southwest Missouri State College, where he lettered in Track and Field. Sharon and Don were married on May 23, 1964, and had three sons, Stephen Don Hembree, Jared Allen Hembree, and Jeffrey Kent Hembree. He served his country during the Vietnam War in the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army and was very proud of his service. A few years later, he purchased Air Moving Equipment, Inc. and successfully ran that business for over 50 years. He was a well-respected businessman who valued honesty and integrity. His approach not only gained him customers, but also life-long friends.

While he cared deeply about his business, Don had many other passions in his life. He was an avid hunter, fisherman, and golfer. He loved sports and played basketball and softball and ran track in high school, where he was named Athlete of the Year in 1962. He also was involved in numerous youth sports as a coach for his sons and in other roles, including helping found the Ozark American Legion Baseball program. He loved people and, in particular, talking to people. The charities to which he volunteered so much of his time, Least of These Food Pantry and Newborns in Need, gave him great joy because of the time he spent with others. Of all his passions, his family and his church family were the most important. He was a founding and active member of Countryside Christian Church in Nixa and gave much of his time and energy to the church. Because of his love of his family, his devotion to the Lord, and his enjoyment of people, he was able to touch innumerable lives.

Don still owned the house he was born and raised in, and very few things provided him with as much satisfaction as sitting on the porch overlooking the lake, listening to the birds, and watching for deer and other wildlife. The only thing he enjoyed more was the time he spent there with his family.

Don was preceded in death by his son, Stephen Don Hembree; father and mother, Dewey and Pauline Hembree; and brother, Paul Eugene Hembree. He is survived by his wife, Sharon Wolfe Hembree; son, Jared Hembree and wife, Michelle; son, Jeff Hembree and wife, Autumn; grandchildren, Cameron Xander Hembree, Skylar Stephen Hembree, and Kaleigh Marie Hembree; sister-in-law, Barbara "Bobby" Owens Hembree; and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Services will be on Saturday, July 29, at 10:00 a.m. at Countryside Christian Church in Ozark. Visitation will be on Friday, July 26, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home in Springfield.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Don's name to American Cancer Society, Least of These Christian County Food Pantry, or Newborns in Need.