Darl Edward Cord

Darl Edward Cord, 89, of Wichita, peacefully passed away on May 19, 2024, while surrounded by family. He was born April 12, 1935, in Wichita, Kansas to Henry and Elizabeth (Steenberg) Cord.He grew up in Wichita and loved childhood adventures in the Riverside Park area. He learned the value of hard work at a young age by helping at the family-owned Cord’s Bakery on West Douglas Street.Darl graduated from Wichita North High School and went on to proudly serve his country for 26 years in the United States Air Force. It was early on in his military career that he met the love of his life, Patricia (Hess), a young and pretty nursing student in Long Island, New York. They married in 1962 and just recently celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary. They were blessed with two wonderful children, Darl Edward and Elizabeth Colette. As a dedicated military family, they moved a lot, both stateside and abroad, which included assignments in Oklahoma, South Dakota, Japan, and Germany. Darl also served isolated tours in Greenland and Iran. The family eventually found their way back home to Wichita where Darl finished his military career, retiring from the Air Force as a Master Sergeant. His career was complimented by numerous awards and commendations. He continued serving his country for another 11 years as a civilian Dept. of Defense employee in Quality Control, which encompassed several sensitive projects including the B2 Bomber.Darl had a love for cars and aircraft from an early age; his knowledge of both was impressively vast. His true love, however, was his wife Patricia, and together as active community members they supported numerous organizations including Music Theatre of Wichita, Wichita Art Museum, Sedgwick County Zoo, and Old Cowtown Museum. Darl was also a member of the Ahavath Achim Hebrew Congregation in Wichita.Darl was an avid animal lover, with a particular fondness for birds and West Highland Terrier dogs. He and Patricia were the proud parents of numerous “Westies” over the years, which were arguably more spoiled than his own two children.Darl was preceded in death by his parents. He’s survived by his loving wife, Patricia; son, Darl (Debora) Cord of Wiesbaden, Germany; daughter, Elizabeth (Blane) Barker of Wichita, KS; and sister, Charlotte Green (companion, Irv Goddard) of Waianae, HI.Graveside Service will be at 11:00 am, Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at Kansas Veterans’ Cemetery, Winfield, KS.In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Mid-Kansas Jewish Federation, 1850 N. Woodlawn, Wichita, KS 67208.Services in care of Downing & Lahey East Mortuary.