Terry Lester Propst, 76
Terry Lester Propst, age 76, of Festus and Theodosia, Missouri, passed away Tuesday August 18, 2026, at his home in Theodosia. He was born July 11, 1950, in Crystal City, Missouri, the son of the late Mollie (nee Statler) and Lester Propst.
He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Glenda (nee Willm) Propst; the children of his heart, Freddy (Mary Kate Kelly) Barnes and Emma (Gavin Kellough) Barnes; his nieces and nephews who he grew up with and were more like siblings; his brother in law/nephew Mike (Pam) Dutton, Ron (Lynn) Dutton, Carol the late (Bob) Thomure, Norvel (Billie) Dutton, Wilford (Cindy) Dutton, Becky (Robert) Kausler, Stacy (Becky) Decker, Ed (Pat) Decker, Kenny Decker, Kim (Richard) Leftridge, Gloria Lowe, Lloyd (Mary Alice) Lucas, Tim (Carlene)Propst, and Lisa (John) Mills; his best friends Bryan and Paula Browne, Marty and Vicki Heck, the Farmington Flyers and their Lost Mine Resort lake family.
In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by a brother George E. (the late Anne) Propst; and sisters Iva Jean (the late Eugene Frank) Crocker, Mary Lou (the late Raymond) Lucas, Wanda (the late Garland) Dutton, and Bonnie (Grant survives of DeSoto, Missouri) Decker.
Terry was the former owner/operator of DeSoto Fuels Inc., P&P ATM, Eagle Wing ATM, and Propst Auto Service in Festus. All his life Terry was a hard steady worker with a strong work ethic, but when he fell in love with flying, it changed his life. His family joked that he had 3 great loves in his life: his wife Glenda, his Goldendoodle Charlie Foxtrot, and flying airplanes, but not necessarily in that order. Terry was cancer free for seven years but when he was first diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2018 he said to Glenda "I'm going to build an airplane before I die“ and he did! It was an exciting moment when he flew it for the first time March 7, 2023. Terry never gave up his dream and never stopped. His last moments on earth were spent at his beloved Lost Mine Airpark, in his airplane hangar, building his second airplane.
Visitation will be from 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. Monday, August 24, 2026, at Vinyard Funeral Home in Festus. Funeral services will be 11:00 A.M. Tuesday, August 25, 2026 at the funeral home, officiated by Rev. Darren Webb of Faith Baptist Church in Festus. Interment will follow in Rose Lawn Memorial Gardens in Crystal City, Missouri. In honor of Terry’s brother George and his dear friend Carl Barnes, memorials in Terry’s memory are preferred to Dr. Lim’s Pancreatic Cancer Research at Washington University, MSC 1082-414-7425 Forsyth Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63105, or Wings of Hope at wingsofhopengo.com.
Printed as submitted.