Ret. Lt. Col. William Cody Owens, Sr.

Dateline-Whitmire, SC
Ret. Lt. Col. William Cody Owens, Sr., age 93, predeceased by his wife, Mary Emma Owens, died Dec. 4, 2011. Cody was born July 19, 1918.
Cody is survived by two children, Cody Owens Jr. and his wife, Nina of Greenville and Jody Garmon and her husband ,Blane of Pomaria, four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Cody was a decorated veteran of WWII. He flew 31 combat missions for the Army Corps and was shot down over Yugoslovia. He returned back to Whitmire after the war and became a small business owner until his retirement. His life in Whitmire included over 20 years of service as Mayor and Alderman. He was Municipal Judge for 12 years. Mr. Owens started and served as Commander of the National Guard in Whitmire in the fifties. He served as Civil Defense Director during the Cuban Crisis. He was a member of the American Legion and a Commander of V. F. W.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, 4899 Belfort Rd., Suite 300, Jacksonville, FL 32256.
Funeral services will be conducted Wednesday, Dec. 7th in Gray Funeral Home Chapel of Whitmire at 3:30 p.m. with burial in Whitmire Cemetery.
The family will receive friends Tuesday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. at Gray Funeral Home in Whitmire.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.grayfuneralhome.com
Gray Funeral Home of Whitmire is serving the family.