Darnell Waters

Allen Darnell Waters, age 90, of Springfield, passed away at 5:52 p.m., Saturday, June 27, 2020 at the Village of Lebanon Nursing Home.

He was born on January 28, 1930 in Washington County to the late Thornton Lee and Chetta Darnell Waters.

He was a lifelong member of the Springfield Presbyterian Church where he served as an elder, church treasurer from 1978 until 2014, a choir member from 1957 until 2015 and served as a delegate to the Presbyterian Church US Assembly in Dallas, Texas in 1961. He was a 1947 graduate of Springfield High School and a 1949 graduate of the Lindsay Wilson College where he attended on a basketball scholarship. In 1949 and 1950 he attended the Western Kentucky University. However due to the circumstances of the Korean War he joined the Springfield National Guard Unit, Service Battery 623 Field Artillery in January of 1951 and was stationed at Fort Bragg. On December 23, 1951 they landed in Korea.

Following his service to his country he returned to the United States to complete his education entering the University of Kentucky School of Pharmacy in September of 1952 and graduating in 1956. His first employment as a registered pharmacist was with the Louisville Apothecary until June of 1957. He then decided to move back to his hometown of Springfield with his new wife the former, Ann Taylor Walker whom he married on August 10, 1956 and began his employment with Mr. J.B. Williams at the Springfield Drug Company. At the death of Mr. Williams in 1969 he became the sole owner and continued operating the store until March of 1988. After the sale of his pharmacy he continued working as a pharmacist with Rite Aid, Kroger and the Medicine Shoppe. Mr. Waters career as a registered pharmacist lasted fifty-three years.

Mr. Waters served on the Springfield City Council from 1962 until 1964. He served on the Springfield Housing Authority from the time it was organized in 1959, serving as chairman in 1961 and later in 2014 thru 2017. When he retired from the Housing Authority 2017 he had served in this position longer than any person in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He served on the Washington County Chamber of Commerce from 1960 until 2014 serving as president in 1975. In 1982 Mr. Waters was awarded the Washington County Lifetime Achievement Award.

He was a former member of the Springfield Rotary Club from 1957 until 2002, serving as president, secretary and also received the distinguished Paul Harris Fellow Award. He was very active with school functions, serving as  president of the Washington County Boosters and called local football games. He was a lifetime member of the University of Kentucky Alumni Association. And he served as chairman of the Boy Scouts Fund Drive for three years for the tri-counties.

Mr. Waters served on the first Board of Trustees of the Mary Immaculate Hospital Board from 1973 until 1977, served on the board of the Marion Manor Nursing Home from 1977 until 1980, served as a board member for the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Community Health Services from 1972 until 1974, served on the Lincoln Trail Pharmacy Association, serving as president in 1977 thru 1979 and was awarded the Pharmacist of the Year Award in 1980.

Preceding him in death were two brothers, Thornton Lee Waters, Jr on December 5, 1938 and William V. “Billy” Waters on June 25, 2017.

He is survived by his wife of nearly sixty-four years, Ann Taylor Walker Waters, three daughters, Beth Alexander (Mark) of Lexington, Beckie Burston (Mike) of Bakersfield, CA and Susan Mattingly (Bill) of Lebanon; six grandchildren, Sara Alexander and Taylor Alexander both of Lexington, Alex Mattingly (Britney) of Springfield, Ann Kelty Smith (Clayton) of Lebanon, Lee Walker Mattingly and Kate Mattingly both of Lebanon; two great grandchildren, Finley Hambrick-Alexander of Lexington and James Gabriel Smith of Lebanon; two sisters-in-law, Jean Waters of Springfield and Matilda Walker of Lebanon; a niece, Melanie Waters and a nephew, Vince Waters both of Illinois.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, July 1st at the Springfield Presbyterian Church with Rev. Clay Stevens, the church pastor, officiating.

Burial will be on Cemetery Hill with military honors conducted by the Marion County Veterans Honor Guard.

Serving as pallbearers will be Alex Mattingly, Lee Walker Mattingly, Taylor Alexander, Mark Alexander, Mike Burston and Bill Mattingly.

Visitation will be after 10:00 Wednesday morning at the Springfield Presbyterian Church.

In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to the Springfield Presbyterian Church Memorial Fund or the Washington County Association for the Mentally Handicapped Legacy Fund. You may visit this website for more information on how to make contributions, http://ckcf4people.org/giving/our-funds/. Make checks payable to CKCF and on the memo line list, Washington County Association for Mentally Handicapped Legacy Fund.

The family is requesting that you please wear face mask and follow social distancing guidelines issued by the CDC.

The service will be facebook live on the Springfield Presbyterian Church facebook page.

Carey & Son Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

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