Donald W. "Don" Barcus

Donald W. "Don" Barcus, 70, longtime educator and coach, passed away Tuesday, June 23, 2020 at his home in Parsons.

The memorial service will be at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, July 11, 2020, at the Parsons Municipal Auditorium.  The service can be viewed live on the Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home Facebook page.

The service will be live streamed at the following sites: Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home Facebook Page, KLKC V93.5 Facebook Page, KLKC 106.7 Facebook Page, Parsons High School Facebook Page, Parsons Vikings Football Facebook Page, KLKC V93.5 Twitter, and KLKC V93.5 Youtube.

Burial will immediately follow at Sherman Cemetery.  Family will receive friends 6-8:00 p.m., Friday, July 10, at Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home. For all events, social distancing guidelines will be followed, including the requirement of face masks.

Donald William Barcus was born on February 24, 1950, to Donald D and Noma O. (Vitousek) Barcus in Oswego, Kansas.  He attended Service Valley School and graduated from Labette County Community High School in 1968.  Following high school, Don played football at Kansas State College of Pittsburg, where he earned a Bachelor's of Science degree in education in 1972.  He began his teaching career at Butler, Missouri and then taught at Fort Scott, Kansas.  In 1977, Don began a long career with the Parsons school district.  His first positions were social studies teacher and head football coach.  Over the years, he coached many sports, including football, track, tennis, and wrestling at both the high school and middle school levels.  Following his retirement from the Parsons district in 2008, Don taught and coached for a time at Erie and Oswego.  He then returned to Parsons and helped coach football and track until his cancer diagnosis in the summer of 2019.

Don was a member and an elder of the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Parsons.  He had served on the USD 503 School Board and was a member of NEA.  His greatest joy came from spending time with his family and especially attending his children and grandchildren's sporting events.  Don enjoyed farming, raising cattle, and was an avid reader.  During his many years of coaching and teaching, Coach Barcus left a lasting influence over many in the Parsons community.

In October 1968, Don married Helen Alvarez.  They later divorced.  In November 1992, Don was united in marriage to Janie (Clover) Lucas.

Survivors include:

His wife - Janie Barcus, of the home

One son - Rob Barcus and his wife, Kendra, of Parsons, Kansas

One daughter - Gypsy Barcus of Smithville, Missouri

One step-son - Troy Lucas of Parsons, Kansas

Seven grandchildren - Hunter, Caitlin, Tanner, Conner, McKinley, Makayla, and Aaron

One sister - Vicki McKee of Chanute, Kansas

Memorials are suggested to the Parsons Educational Foundation - Don Barcus Scholarship Fund or to the First Christian Church of Parsons.  These may be left at or mailed to Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 374, Parsons, KS  67357