Sonny (Delbert) Lafayette Deaton was born on June 4, 1936, in Mingo, Iowa and passed away at his home on April 30, 2023, at the age of 86. He was the son of Delbert O. Deaton and Phoebe May Deaton (Boucher). Sonny attended Mingo High School and was a proud, life-long resident of Mingo, Iowa except for the 3 years that he served in the Army. Sonny was in the Army from 1954 to 1957 and was stationed in Germany. Sonny and Sharon (Clark) married on June 5, 1959, and shared 57 years of marriage before Sharon passed away in 2016. A memorial service to honor Sonny's life will take place at 10:00 AM, Friday, May 5, 2023, at the United Methodist Church of Mingo. A burial will follow at Greencastle Cemetery. Military rites will be provided at the cemetery for Sonny's service to our country. The family requests that memorials be made out to the Mingo EMS. Condolences may be left online at www.coburnfuneralhomes.com

Those left to honor his memory include his daughters; Tamara Deaton of Clive, Tara (Jeff) Wirth of Story City, and Traci (Ken) Imlau of Ames; two grandchildren, Logan Wirth and Rachel (Nick) Thorson (Wirth) and four sisters-in laws; Lynn Anderson of Ames, Linda Sue (Dave) O'Donnell of Colo, Bertha Deaton of Newton and Linda Deaton of (Marietta) GA, along with half-brother Tim (Wanda) Deaton of Newton; half-sisters, Debbie McNeely of Altoona, Pam (Michael) Czerwiec of Orlando, FL and Brenda (Mike) Hansen of Newton and many nieces and nephews. Preceding his death were his parents, and siblings; David, Ron and John Deaton, Betty Westburg, Kathy and LaVerne Deaton.

Sonny retired from the Ankeny John Deere plant in 1993 after 30 years of service in the loading dock and warehouse. After retiring, he enjoyed working part-time at the Colfax John Deere dealership and golfing with friends. Sonny and Sharon enjoyed years of travels all over the US and liked quick trips to Branson, MO for long weekends. They took a number of cruises to the Caribbean and Alaska in their retirement years, and Sonny especially enjoyed playing slot machines.

Although Sonny's body did not age exceptionally well, his mind was sharp until the end. His family enjoyed hearing stories of his life and playing cards together. His daughter, Tamara, moved in during his final years enabling him to rest and pass in peace at home. He will be missed and remembered with love.