Arthur Don Floyd

1936 - 2026

Arthur Don Floyd
Jan. 2, 1936 – Jan. 18, 2026

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Arthur Don Floyd, D.D.S., 90, of Hot Springs, Ark., on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, at his home. Born to Sheriff E.W. and Beulah Vesta Wickett Floyd in Sallisaw, on Jan. 2, 1936, he is a descendant of Cherokee ancestors and grew up surrounded by the Floyd and Wickett families.
Named after his uncle, Charles Arthur Floyd, Don graduated from Sallisaw High School in 1954. He attended Northeastern University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, studying Chemistry and Mathematics for his undergraduate degree. He entered dental school at the University of Tennessee Memphis in 1962, where he met and married Ida Kozette (Kay) McWherter, his wife of 63 years, on Oct. 13, 1962. He then served in the United States Navy at the Norfolk Naval Air Station. Afterward, he completed a residency in pediatric dentistry at the University of Alabama in Birmingham and moved back to Hot Springs in 1969 when they welcomed the birth of their first child, Arthur Don (Tad) Floyd II.
In the early 1970s, Don set up a pediatric dentistry practice at the Medical Arts building in downtown Hot Springs, later moving to Park Hill, and practiced for 38 years, being one of only 2 children's dentists in Hot Springs at that time. In 1979, he and Kay welcomed their daughter, Sarah Elizabeth Wickett Floyd. He served his community for over 55 years as a Rotarian with the Hot Springs National Park Downtown Rotary Club, where he had perfect attendance and was a Paul Harris Fellow. He was a past president of the Rotary Club and most recently served as chairman of the Sergeant-At-Arms committee. He also served as Scoutmaster of Ouachita Area Council Troop 1 in the Boy Scouts of America and received the Silver Beaver Award. He was a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan, listening to baseball games on the radio since he was a boy in Oklahoma. He loved animals, caring for countless dogs and cats throughout the years. We will remember that Donnie was kind, always with a smile, and a family man dedicated to his wife, children, and grandchildren. He'd say, "Good morning!" no matter the time of day and greeted his patients with, "Howdy, Partner."
He is survived by his wife, Kay, and two children, son Arthur (Tad) and wife Carolyn Green, grandson Ethan W. Floyd and granddaughter Grace K. Floyd, all of St. Louis, and daughter Elizabeth and husband Matthew Sepesy, grandson Edward W. Sepesy and granddaughter Penelope K. Sepesy, all of Pittsburgh, as well as his sister Mary Ellen Floyd Voss of Nowata, Oklahoma and his dear cousin Jimmy Lessley of Sallisaw.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Sheriff E.W. and Beulah Vesta Wickett Floyd, and his brother Marland Dale Floyd.
Memorials can be made for scholarships by the Hot Springs National Park Rotary Club at the website https://qrco.de/myrotary and clicking on "Give to Local Projects."
Graveside services will be at 1 p.m., Tuesday, February 3, at Akins Cemetery in Akins.