Donald Stuard, age 90, passed away Thursday, July 16, 2026, at Countryside Health and Rehab in Jasper, Arkansas. He was born August 26, 1935, in Sumpter, Arkansas, and was a former resident of Sumpter for many years. He was the oldest child of Anuel Richard Stuard and Vera Mae Smith Stuard, and he graduated from the Hermitage School System.
Donald was an automotive body repair specialist. He managed several body shops in Southeast Arkansas, the first being with Jackson Chevrolet in Monticello where he was a General Motors Certified Master Technician. Later, he opened A-1 Body Shop with his business partner, cousin, and friend, Lewis Smith. Donald and Anita moved from Monticello to Sumpter and enjoyed their retirement years fishing, camping, and gardening. He enjoyed quail hunting, raising quail and working with his bird dogs, and in his later years he spent most of his time sitting on the back porch visiting with friends, smoking his pipe and appreciating Mother Nature.
Preceding him in death are his parents, his wife of sixty-six years, Anita Knowles Stuard, their son, Donald Glen Stuard, their great-grandson, Pierce Evan Harper, and his sister, Lawana Joy Stuard Mann.
Survivors are daughter, Denice Harper and her husband Mark of Deer, Arkansas, daughter- in-law, Rose Stuard of Palestine, Texas and brother-in-law, Waymon Mann of Hermitage. Also surviving are grandsons Matthew Harper and wife Melissa of Sanford, North Carolina, and Adam Harper and wife Heidi of Georgetown, Texas; great-grandchildren, Emma, Ava, Jude, Beckham, Vivian, Oliver, Charlotte and Luke.
We would like to thank the nurses and staff of Countryside Health and Rehab for the love and care they have given Don for the past two years, and Legacy Hospice for the care they provided in his final weeks. He was truly special and will be missed.
Graveside service was 1:00PM Thursday, July 23rd 2026 at Outlaw Cemetery with Rev. Tommy Mitchell officiating. Burial was in Outlaw Cemetery by Frazer’s Funeral Home.
