Getting to know you: Don Softley

When the fireworks light up the night sky in Grant this Fourth of July, count on Fire Chief Don Softley to be down on the launching pad, as he has been for the past 40 years. After working his way up through the years, his job when it comes to the show today, is pyrotechnic display operator, licensed supervisor. 

Softley celebrated 40 years with the Grant Volunteer Fire Department at this year’s banquet. 

“I really don’t know why I joined the department all those years ago. I was actually talked into it by a couple of guys who were already on the department, because I didn’t think I would do it or could do it, or that I was worthy to be on the department. I also had these childhood memories of these pasture fires and everyone coming together and thinking it was a neat fellowship and camaraderie the firemen possessed.”

Donald Wesley Softley, has called Perkins County his home his whole life, his grandparents settled here in the 1880s. He says his favorite part of living here is the clean air and water and the safe surroundings. 

Softley attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln studying agronomy, and a job offer out of college brought him back to Perkins County. He served four years as a certified professional agronomist before his wife passed away and he needed to change his work schedule to better able himself to single parent his two young sons.

That is when he started his career in banking, which he has been doing for 34 years now. His current position is the branch president at Western States Bank in Grant.

Softley said he found a miracle when he met his current wife of 36 years, Kay, whom he married on Nov. 20, 1982.

Kay and Don were blessed with two more sons. All four children of the family of six have since grown up and moved on. 

Don and Kay are now the doting grandparents of nine, soon to be 10, grandchildren.

“I’m blessed with a family of characters, we do an awful lot of laughing,” Softley said. 

Oldest son Chad, 41, resides in Kearney. In Hayes Center is 39-year-old Craig, while Chris, 34, and Curt, 29, both reside in Lubbock, Texas. 

Softley said his favorite day of the year is any day he can spend with his whole family together, which he says is usually on Christmas and the Fourth of July. 

“My wife is a GREAT cook, fried chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy, and steak and potatoes, and hot beef sandwiches, those have to be my top three favorite meals,” he said.

In addition to his full-time job and volunteer work at the fire department, Softley has been involved in Rotary, the school foundation, the CRA, the community foundation, the economic development committee and the Jaycees.

A hobby of Softley’s in the little bit of free time he may have, is an HO-scale railroad train set he dedicates a space in his home for. He said as a child he always thought he’d grow up to be a railroad engineer. 

Softley said his pet peeve is “people that go to church on Sunday and then lie, cheat and steal Monday through Saturday.”

One of his biggest fears is to be in some sort of accident or have something debilitating happen that would leave him “a burden” to someone else.

As far as the greatest challenge of his life, Softley laughed and said “getting up in the morning,” but added that he does struggle with keeping his cool sometimes. 

At 64, Softley said he looks forward to living each and every day to the fullest and sites his wedding days and births of his children as the reigning greatest days of his life.