of Searcy, AR
July 18, 1934 - September 30, 2025
Robert Donald Shackelford was born in Joplin, Missouri on July 18, 1934 and passed away 91 years later on September 30, 2025 in Searcy, Arkansas. He was the son of a preacher and homebuilder and grew up going to church faithfully. He was called Don by his multitude of friends, Dad by his children and Papaw by his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his dear wife of 66 years, Joyce (Brewer). He is survived by his five children: Lucy Console and husband, Tony; Robbie Shackelford and wife, Mona; Donna Daggett and husband, Shawn; Becca Lambert and husband, Carter and Kenneth Shackelford and wife, Tanja. He is also survived by 34 grandchildren (including 12 spouses) and 22 great-grandchildren.
When Don proposed to Joyce, he told her that he would show her the world and he was certainly true to his word. After graduating from college at David Lipscomb in Nashville, TN in 1957, he and Joyce and their firstborn boarded a ship for Sicily to work as missionaries and to establish a church in Palermo. They returned to the states in 1961, now with three children, to Dallas, Texas where he ministered at a church there and then in Slidell, Louisiana. They returned to Italy in 1966, this time to Florence and with four children, to lead the Florence Bible School. Their fifth child was born in Florence and they stayed until 1970.
Don had a great commitment to the study of God's word and to Christian education. He graduated from high school in Leedy, Oklahoma and attended Oklahoma Christian College (then known as Central Christian) where he met and married Joyce. Don then received a BA at David Lipscomb College in Nashville and was a candidate for a Doctorate of Philosophy at the Universita' degli Studi in Florence, Italy. Lastly, he received a Doctorate of Theology from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and then began teaching as a Bible Professor at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas in 1974. He continued teaching there until his retirement in 2001, with the exception of one two-year stint as the chair of the Bible Department at Lubbock Christian College in the mid-1970s. Even after retirement, he continued teaching at Amridge University online while also working as an editor at Truth for Today and writing commentaries on Isaiah and Job, among other projects.
After his mission work, Don's love for God's world and for the ''Great Commission'' never waned and this showed with his endeavors throughout his academic career. For many years, he led the ''Missions Prepare'' program at Harding and also directed the International Campaigns program which sent Harding students on short-term mission trips to many foreign nations. He helped begin and then directed the International Studies program at Harding, which started with Harding University in Florence in 1980 and grew to campuses in England, Greece, Australia, Chile, Zambia and more. He loved providing opportunities for students to experience other cultures, showing them how they can serve God in places all around the world.
Don Shackelford was also passionate about Biblical Archaeology. Two great lifetime highlights for him were his 45-day drive from Italy all the way through Greece, Turkey and Lebanon to the Holy Lands in 1959 as well as his archaeological excavation at Gezer, Israel in 1968. He loved touring the great museums of the world. He always had a camera at hand in these many excursions and was proud of his collection of over 8,000 slides on Bible related subjects.
Everyone acquainted with Don knew of His abiding faith in Jesus and love for God's Word. He and Joyce were the perfect partnership for Kingdom service together. They loved serving in the local church. Don served as elder at Cloverdale Church of Christ for over a decade. He served the Lord, visiting churches and teaching the Bible, on six continents. He ran the race and finished in faith. Now, he rejoices with his Savior Jesus and the great cloud of witnesses who went before him. Though we mourn our temporary loss here in this life, we celebrate Don's life now and look forward to our great reunion with he and Joyce and so many other loved ones, all together in the arms of Jesus.