Darrel Dalton Boles

Darrel Dalton Boles of Parkville, Missouri passed away on April 23, 2020. He was 89 years old. A drive thru style visitation will take place on Thursday, April 30, 2020 from 4:00-6:00 pm at Chapel Hill-Butler Funeral Home, 701 North 94th Street, Kansas City, Kansas 66112. Come, offer your condolences to Darrel’s family, and pay final respects to Darrell while following social distancing guidelines from the safety of you vehicle. There will be a virtual funeral service on Friday, May 1, 2020 starting at 1:00 pm. Please log on to facebook.com/chapelhillbutler to view the livestream of Darrel's service. Shortly before the appointed time, the livestream will begin. If you do not see the livestream on your screen, please refresh your screen. You might need to scroll down to see the livestream.

Darrell was born on January 11, 1931 in Alamosa, Colorado to Harry "Cecil" and Mary "Ethel" Boles. Shortly after, the family moved to Leavenworth, Kansas where he lived until he left home to proudly serve his country in the United States Air Force when he was 21 years old. Darrel was in ROTC for 3 years of high school and one year of college. Darrel was then assigned to Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, TX for basic training in the 3735 Basic Training Squadron. After Basic, he chose Armament school as it fitted his interest in things mechanical. He also attended the Electronics school before being transferred to Guam. He would spend the rest of his life in the electronic industry. Darrel spent most of the Korean War on Guam from 1951 to 1953 with 79 Air Rescue Squadron on Anderson Air Force Base. One year before Darrel’s discharge, he requested a transfer to 37th Air Rescue Squadron at Komaki Airdrome in Nagoya, Japan in 1953, while in Japan, Darrel’s radio bug hit him again and he set up a M.A.R.S. station. Darrel remained a ham radio operator until the late 60s. Darrel was honorable discharged on May 18, 1954.

Darrel Boles and Shirley Hendrickson were married on April 3, 1955. Darrel said that it was a good day to get married because it was Palm Sunday and he could remember his anniversary every year. No one bothered to tell him though that Palm Sunday changed dates every year. Darrel’s mother and father owned Boles Midwest Auto in Leavenworth until they retired in 1974. Darrel worked there off and on until they retired. Darrel was attending University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS when his first child was born. His daughter, Sharon, was born on February 9, 1956. The family shortly moved to Wichita for 18 months, then on to Leavenworth, Kansas for another 5 to 6 years. During this time, Darrel went to work for TWA at the overhaul base in Kansas City. In the summer of 1962, TWA transferred Darrel and family to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia until the summer of 1964 to teach employees at Saudi Airlines how to overhaul their planes. Darrel and Shirley’s second child, Michael, was born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on December 19, 1962.

After returning to Leavenworth, Darrel and Shirley decided to move across the river near Parkville, MO to be closer to TWA. Darrel then started his career of selling mobile communications. His territory started stateside, then for the last 20 years, his territory was the Persian Gulf countries of Oman, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Shortly thereafter, he started working for GE Mobile Communications, which transferred him to Mt. Prospect, Illinois for 4 years then to Minneapolis, MN for 18 months, then to Athens Greece for 2 years, and then to Lynchburg, VA for 4 years before Darrel and Shirley finally returned home to Kansas City, Missouri.

His daughter, Sharon, stayed behind in Minneapolis, MN and his son, Michael, had previously returned to Kansas City, Missouri to finish the last year of high school. Darrel “retired” from mobile communications, but never was one to sit and relax. Darrel and Shirley’s next adventure was delivering lost airline luggage. In their 60s and 70s, they would drive from Omaha, Nebraska to Branson, Missouri and from the middle of Kansas to the Middle of Missouri and everywhere in between. FINALLY, they fully retired in 2009 to enjoy life with family and friends.

On June 1, 2012, Darrel fell down his front stairway while doing yard work and sustained a traumatic brain injury. For the next almost 8 years, Shirley took care of Darrel at their home. Darrel had a good quality of life and Shirley made sure he enjoyed his life and kept him healthy. Darrel and Shirley just recently went through the traumatic death of their son, Michael, who passed away suddenly June 11, 2019 from two strokes.

Darrel was preceded in death by his parents; son, Michael; and several aunts, uncles, and nephews.

He is survived by his wife Shirley of 65 years; sister Mavis Alexander; nephew, Randy Bradley; cousin, Helen Hullinger; daughter Sharon Blaine; 5 grandchildren, Amber Boles, Kami Boles, Marisa Boles, Brianna Blaine and Justin Blaine; great-grandsons Hayden Young and Bently Wilson; one niece and many nephews, and cousins.