Donaldson Benard "Don" Hudson

Donaldson Benard “Don” Hudson of Jasper, AL. went to be with the Lord on Saturday, June 12, 2021 at Ridgeview Healthcare Facility with his beloved wife beside him. Family will receive friends Tuesday, June 15, 2021, from 1 p.m. until 2 p.m. Service will follow at 2 p.m. Burial will be at Walker Memory Gardens. Rev.Howard Thompson and Rick Hudson will officiate.

Don was born on July 15, 1930 to Luther Brack Hudson and Lois Mamie Scruggs Hudson of Jasper, AL. He was the 8th of nine children, 5 brothers and 3 sisters. Don attended Curry High School and graduated from there in 1949. He played on the basketball team as a point guard and on the football team as quarterback. He was always proud of his team’s winning record although he was left with a few nagging injuries from some of those football games. He was always very neat and was voted the most attractive in his class. Don’s grandfather Scruggs constructed the building that became Musgrove Country Club so he and his brothers grew up caddying, playing golf there, and fishing in Blackwater Creek, activities which he loved all his life. Don joined the Army National Guard in 1946 when he was 16 and still in school (He may have fibbed about his age). He served for 8 years in the National Guard in Jasper achieving the rank of sergeant. He served two years of active duty in 1951 and 1952. His unit observed two atomic bomb tests in the deserts of New Mexico and Don was one the last surviving member of his unit. The majority of them died of cancer probably due in some part to the radiation exposure.

Don married Emily Tom Bailey on December 24th, 1953. They had two children, Barry Don and Thomas Keith. Emily died in 2006 after 52 years of marriage. Don worked for Bell South Telephone Company for 43 years and retired August 21, 1995. He loved his time with the telephone company and learned to troubleshoot and wire most anything. He always talked about how good the telephone company was to him and how he enjoyed the friendships developed over the years.

Don married Peggy S. Mathias of Nauvoo February 29, 2008. They were both retired at the time and enjoyed traveling together, attending church, spending time with their friends, watching golf, watching Alabama Football, playing dominos, gardening; playing corn hole and occasionally golfing together. Don loved fresh homegrown tomatoes and raised enough every year to keep his friends and family in tomatoes. He loved gardening and raising everything that he could including vegetables, peaches, apples, pears and pecans. A good peach cobbler was one of his favorite desserts. He loved to spend time at the Musgrove Country Club and collected and recycled lost golf balls for all of his friends and family. You would often find him wading the creek in search of golf balls. Don was an avid Alabama Football fan all his life and had the honor of playing golf with Mal Moore in one tournament at

Musgrove. Everyone enjoyed watching the Alabama Football games with Don at his home and eating popcorn during the games. He was as entertaining as the game itself. Don was a member of New Prospect Baptist church where he attended most of his life and served as a Deacon. He was involved in many activities including a member of several committees, bus driver, B.A. leader, member of the choir and the Sonshine Singers. Don was always quick to compliment everyone and to thank God for all his blessings. He enjoyed life and loved socializing. He was always a good host to anyone that visited him and thanked them for stopping by. He truly enjoyed having conversations about anything. He was always willing to help anyone where he could and was kind and generous. He exhibited the traits that come from God and not from man. His destination in eternity is secure. Don was a devoted father and grandfather and a loving husband. He was a great influence to all that knew him. He will be greatly missed by all of us and we look forward to the day when the "morning sun breaks eternal bright and fair" and "the circle will be unbroken."

Don is preceded in death by his parents, Brack and Lois Mamie Hudson; his first wife, Emily Bailey Hudson; brothers Dillard Hudson, Hubert Bankston, Travis Hudson, Julian Hudson; sisters, Lois Johnsey and Louise Bankston.

He is survived by his wife of 13 years, Peggy M. Hudson; his two sons, Barry Don (Debbie) of Johnson City, TN and Keith Hudson (Sharon) of Parrish, AL.; one stepdaughter, Debra Trammell (Mike) of Nauvoo, AL; one stepson, Doug Mathias (Sally), of Leeds, AL.; grandchildren, Alan Hudson, Megan Mathias, Mallory Mathias, Mason Mathias, Hunter Trammell, Dalton McClinton, Brady McClinton, and Lauren Blair (Brandon), of Church Hill TN.; two great grandchildren, Harrison and Elliott Blair.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to New Prospect Baptist Church, P.O. Box 1567 Jasper, AL 35502.

Pallbearers will be Alan Hudson, Mason Mathias, Hunter Trammell, David Hudson, Justin Stephenson, and Steve Hudson.