Darin Alan Hustead

Darin Alan Hustead passed away Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Branson, Missouri, at the age of 64. Although it may seem as though he died at an early age, Darin lived an extraordinary life that was never boring. He was born May 25, 1961, in Keokuk, Iowa, to his parents: Gene and Norma Hustead. He had an older sister, Pam Brown, and an older brother, Dennis Hustead, who loved him fiercely and treated him as the baby. Their family lived in Kahoka, Missouri, where Gene was a successful business owner, but he and Norma always had big dreams of retiring to their favorite vacation spot in Kimberling City. The Husteads packed their bags and moved to the beautiful Table Rock Lake when Darin was in fifth grade, starting his lifelong love for the Ozark Mountains.
Growing up in a booming tourist town, Darin spent his time working as an entertainer. He played Little Pete at the Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Theatre and spent many years mixing sound in the control room. His coworkers still remember that he could recite the entire play word for word. Darin also worked at Silver Dollar City as a parking lot attendant and at Rube Dugan's Diving Bell. He always remarked that the money was great during the busy season, but you'd almost starve for those three months in the winter. He was a true tourism advocate from the beginning. Darin also loved water skiing on Table Rock Lake and spent his younger years being known for endless shenanigans with friends.
Following in his father's career footsteps at age 17, Darin became the youngest person to receive his real estate license in the state of Missouri. He started with Century 21 and lived in Dallas, Cleveland, and traveled around the country to teach courses on real estate continuing education. Darin and Gene also wrote hundreds of lessons and books on the curriculum, shaping the future of real estate as we know it today. "Nothing happens until something sells," he'd often say.
Darin met his future wife, Elizabeth Nappi, while working for Century 21 in Ohio. They traveled together and saw most of the United States by the time he was 30. The newlyweds moved back to the Ozarks for Darin to start a business with his father in real estate and development, most notably building Oak Creek Parkway on Talking Rocks Road in Branson West. They also bought the popular Ray's Market on DD Hwy in 1999, replacing it with a considerable brick building that still acts as a cornerstone when traveling into Kimberling City.
Above all else, Darin's favorite job was being a dad to Andy and Lauren. He coached countless years of youth sports and was always there to cheer on his kids and their friends. "Turn two, turn two! There you go!" Even as Andy and Lauren got older, Darin never missed a school event, ball game, tennis match, or just a chance to spend time together. He always brought the energy and was uplifting in any situation. The St. Louis Cardinals were his team, no matter the highs or lows they faced. He was also a movie fanatic, constantly quoting lines from movies that were decades old.
Life took an unexpected turn in August 2012, when Darin was experiencing headaches and memory fog. He had dealt with severe scoliosis and chronic pain his entire life, but this was a new level. When rushed to the hospital, the doctors found a benign brain tumor the size of a large man's fist and gave him 24 hours to live. Miraculously, he continued to fight for his life and the surgeons were able to fully remove the tumor with no long-lasting damage. Every morning following the surgery, Darin would wake up in a great mood, just happy to be alive. A long road to recovery ahead of him was well worth the life he got to keep living and the memories he continued to make.
Years later, Darin reconnected with a lifelong friend, Deanna Hilton, and they married in 2018. They lived happily in Branson on the lake, spent quality time with their family, and traveled to new places. Adamant on keeping busy, he held positions at Silver Dollar City, O'Reilly Auto Parts in Hollister, and Shepherd of the Hills. Working at Shepherd and Silver Dollar City once again was a full circle moment that he cherished. Unfortunately, he still battled the chronic pain that came with his back problems. While our family tried every avenue for relief that was out there, he still suffered tremendously near the end of his time. Darin told us recently that he had lived a great and exciting life, done everything he had wanted to, and loved his family with his entire heart.
To know Darin Hustead was to love him wholeheartedly. He never met a stranger and always wore a huge smile. Going to Walmart with him was never a short trip, solely because he'd run into too many friends and have conversations with each of them. His personality was truly unmatched and he had the most infectious laugh you could imagine. Darin always had sayings for any situation, this is a fitting one: "Life is a zero-sum game. You start with nothing, and you end with nothing. It's all about how you play the game in between."
Darin was preceded in death by his parents; nephew, Joshua Hustead; and brother-in-law, John Brown.
Darin is survived by his son, Andy Hustead; daughter, Lauren Hustead and significant other, Blake Ball; wife, Deanna Hilton Hustead; sister, Pam Brown; brother, Dennis (Gail) Hustead; mother of his children, Elizabeth Nappi; niece, Caity (Kevin) Creighton; and seven nephews: Shannon Brown, Timothy Thomas, Ryan (Pauli) Brown, Brandon Brown, Tim (Robin) Schaum, Chris Schaum, and Matt (Ashli) Pyle.
There will be a service Tuesday, June 24 at 11:00 a.m. at the New Testament Christian Church, 21016 Main Street, Reeds Spring, Missouri 65737, to honor Darin's life and share great memories. Memorial donations can be made to Reeds Spring High School Attention: Youth Activities to continue impacting children's lives through the Youth Sports program. Arrangements and cremation are under the direction of Cremations of the Ozarks.