Floyd F. Darrow
Obituary
NEWTON — Floyd F. Darrow, 93, passed away peacefully in his
sleep on Friday (Feb. 10, 2012) at his residence in Newton.
He was born to Earl B and Clara May Darrow on Feb. 19, 1919,
in Pueblo, Colo. His family moved to Albuquerque in 1929 and purchased the
Thomas Creamery and opened the Darrow Ice Cream Business.
Floyd attended the Albuquerque public schools and was a very
active athlete. He was the captain of both the championship Albuquerque High
School basketball team and Albuquerque High School football team.
He and his two brothers were elected to the Albuquerque High
School Hall of Fame in 2009. Floyd
attended the University of New Mexico and was the co-captain of the UNM Lobo
football team that went to the Sun Bowl.
He also played semi professional baseball in Albuquerque for
a short while and later raced stock cars at the Albuquerque Speedway Park in
the 1950s.
Floyd was trained in the Army Air Corps as a B17 pilot and
quickly progressed to become a B29 pilot instructor during the Second World
War. Floyd was stationed at Holloman AFB and Kirtland AFB.
After the war, he continued in the ice cream business and
became very active in the community. He was one of several persons responsible
for founding the current Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute. Floyd also
served on the APS School Board, was president of the Kiwanis, a member of the
Masons, and a deacon at the Albuquerque and Newton First Presbyterian Church.
Floyd served as a representative in the New Mexico House of
Representatives from 1954 through 1956.
He later moved to Newton, where he became the vice president of the
First Kansas Life Insurance Company.
He is survived by his current wife, Maxine; brother, Barton
Darrow; daughter, Dona Wilpolt-Cook; sons, Roger and Patrick; and several
grandchildren.
Floyd was preceded in death by his first wife, Mary Jo; and
second wife, Nadine.
Memorial services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 18, 2012)
at the Presbyterian Manor Chapel in Newton.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to First
Presbyterian Church of Newton, or Boy Scout Troop 123 in Newton (in care of
Petersen Funeral Home of Newton).
