09/20

Steven Hollain,
33 died Friday ( Dec. 13, 2002 ) in South Plainfield , NJ , where he had been a lifelong resident. He served in the USAF as a flight engineer and earned the rank of sergeant. He was stationed at Mountain Home AF base in Idaho, and was last stationed at McChord AF base in Washington State until 1995. Steven was attending Middlesex County College studying to become an x-ray technician. He is survived by his parents and two siblings. You may contact his mother at the following address: Gabriele Hollain, 400 Clifford St. , South Plainfield , NJ 07080 , (908) 757-3594

Major General Paul Francis Patch,
May 28, 1920-August 27, 2004 Son of Florence Dangelo and Pasqual Patch, born in Denver, Co, served his country as a career U.S. Air Force Officer ultimately in the position of Director of Transportation, USAF, Pentagon. Paul was blessed with 3 daughters, 5 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. Services at Arlington National Cemetery, October 14, 2004 , 8:45 AM in the Old Post Chapel. Contributions can be made: Patch Family Memorial Fund C/O Camino del Sol Funeral Home 623-584-6299.

10/04
Retired USAF Lt. Col. Donald W. Gardner, Jr.,
74, died September 9, 2004.Donald was born May 29, 1930, in Marianna, FL. He enlisted in the Navy in 1948 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the USAF in 1954. His career spanned 34 years. He retired at Offutt AFB, NE, in 1982. During his Navy career, he served aboard the USS Valley Forge, attached to the Pacific Fleet. In the Air Force, he served as an aircrew member and held numerous staff positions in Strategic Air Command, US Forces in Europe, Air Training Command and USAAG/7 AF in Thailand. Among his many decorations are the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, Meritorious Service Medal and Joint Services Commendation Medal. Donald is survived by his wife of 44 years, Joan W. Gardner; two sons, John D. of Louisville, KY, and James B. of Greenville, SC; two daughters, Rachel C. Dirmeyer of Clarksville, MD, and Lt. Col. Elizabeth B. Borelli, USAF, currently stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH; and ten grandchildren. A grave side service and burial with full military honors, will be held October 27, 2004, 3:00 p.m., at Arlington National Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Big Bend Hospice, 1723 Mahan Center Blvd., Tallahassee, FL 32308, or to the American Cancer Society.
Retired Special Forces Ltc. Kevin McGoey,
of Fayetteville, N.C., died Thursday, Sept. 2, 2004, in Womack Army Medical Center on Fort Bragg. He was 57 years old. Ltc. McGoey retired in 1994, having served 28 years in the army. Funeral services will be held at Arlington National Cemetery on October 21, at 12:30pm. Ltc. McGoey is survived by his wife, Eileen McGoey, of Fayetteville, NC; daughter, Christine Meany, of Summit, NJ; son Kevin McGoey of Summit, NJ; sisters, Maureen Gould and Sheila Harris, both of Yorktown, VA., sister, Eileen Valentine, of Venice, FL; twin brother, Kenneth McGoey, of Carmel, NY and brother Patrick McGoey of Clifford, NJ.

10/11

First Lt. Rita F. (Burr) Barton passed away June 13, 2004, in Tucson, AZ. Her husband, Loyd K. Barton, preceded her in death. Rita was born in Atlantic City, NJ, on October 11, 1914. She enlisted in the Army Nurses Corps in 1945 and served overseas in India and Italy. Rita's dedication to the veterans of the armed services continued late into her life. She was active in many veterans' organizations and served as Auxiliary Commander and Post Chaplain for the American Legion Post 51 in Sierra Vista, AZ. Rita rests with her husband in the Military Cemetery on Ft. Huachuca, AZ.

Colonel , USA (Ret.) Wilburn E. Grant , 84, died at his home in North Little Rock , Arkansas , on September 18, 2004 . A memorial service will be held at Roller-Owens Funeral Home of North Little Rock at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, September 24, followed by burial with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday, October 27, 2004 at 10:00 a.m. . The family will receive friends at Roller-Owens Funeral Home, 5509 John F. Kennedy Blvd., North Little Rock, on Thursday evening, September 23, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Colonel Grant was born on February 18, 1920, in Gibson County, Tennessee, and spent most of his boyhood in Union City, Tennessee. His parents, William Robert Grant and Pearl Brown Grant, preceded him in death, as did a brother, William Ferris Grant. He was also predeceased by his high school sweetheart and beloved wife of fifty-six years, Dorothy Eckhardt Grant. He is survived by two daughters and their husbands, Katherine Grant Paulette and John Paulette of Conway, Arkansas; and Elizabeth Grant Fisher and Jerry Fisher, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina; and by one brother, Clay Brown Grant of Bon Secour, Alabama. In addition, he leaves six grandchildren, Russell Grant Harris, Angela Harris Niederer, Ruth Gilmore Bass, Lauren Gilmore Meals, Elizabeth Wright Fisher, and Sara Fisher Oldham, plus five great-grandsons, one great-granddaughter, one nephew, and two nieces. Colonel Grant retired from the U. S. Army in 1972 following a military career of 34 years. After serving several years in the Tennessee National Guard, he was activated with his unit in 1940 and graduated from Officer Candidate School and the Parachute School in 1942. During World War II, he served in the Canal Zone and in the Southwest Pacific, where he participated in three major campaigns, including Lae and Noemfoor, first as a member of the 501st Parachute Battalion, an original parachute unit, and later with the 503rd ARCT. He attended both the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and the Canadian Army Staff College at Kingston, Ontario; was the Assistant Army Attaché in Karachi, Pakistan; served four years attached to the American Embassy in Paris, France; and was assigned at various times to Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Fort Benning, Georgia; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Fort Polk, Louisiana; and Fort Sheridan, Illinois. Other overseas assignments included Vietnam and the Philippines . His decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the American Defense Service Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal. He also holds the Combat Infantryman's Badge and the Master Parachutist Badge, as well as the ASP Master Parachutist Badge (Honorary -- Philippines ). Following his retirement, Colonel Grant pursued his education at and was graduated from Northwestern Louisiana State University , developing a deep interest in the field of anthropology. He then began working on a master's degree which caused him to return to the Philippines where he spent two and a half years conducting an anthropological research program among two pagan tribes in the mountains of northern Luzon, concentrating on ethnology and oral tribal traditions in the absence of a written language. Later Colonel and Mrs. Grant moved to Memphis , Tennessee , where they were active in numerous cultural groups. They both were licensed as real estate agents, and he also qualified as a real estate appraiser. Having served with the Original 501st Parachute Battalion, he was a member of the 501st Parachute Battalion Association and was president of that organization in 1995-96. In 1999, he was made an Honorary Colonel in the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels. The family suggests that memorials be given to Arkansas Hospice, Inc., 5600 West 12th Street , Little Rock , AR 72204 ; or to the Youth Program of the First Christian Church, Box 37 , Dallas City , IL 62330 . I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7

10/25

Major James Madison Stribling, Sr. (Ret., USAF), died Wednesday, September 22, 2004 , at the VA Medical Center in Martinsburg , WV . A memorial service will be held on November 10, 2004 at 11:00 a.m. at Ft. Myer Chapel at Arlington National Cemetery . Inurnment will be held at the Arlington National Cemetery Columbarium with full miltary honors. Major Stribling was a graduate of the University of Maryland , earning a bachelor's degree in military science while serving in the United States Air Force. James held every enlisted rank before being commissioned as an officer, where he eventually retired as major. After retirement, he began a career at the Pentagon working for the Civil Service in the publishing division. He is survived by two sons James Madison Stribling, Jr. and Benjamin B. Stribling; one sister Dorothy Stribling Melton; three grandchildren; and one great grandson. Maddox Funeral Home in Front Royal, Virginia is handling arrangements.

11/01

Colonel Fred Howard Bounds, (Ret. USAF), age 88, died September 29, 2004 at his home in Lucedale, MS. Colonel Bounds was a native of Shubuta, MS, a mason, shriner and a member of the First Baptist Church of Lucedale, MS. He served in the U.S. Air Force for 30 years and was a veteran of World War II and the Vietnam War. Bounds attended Mississippi State University and was a graduate of Louisiana State University. Colonel Bounds is survived by 2 sons, 3 grandchildren, 1 brother and 1 sister. Donations can be made to the George County Library Fund in Lucedale, MS.