James Wallace Patton

James Wallace Patton, 84, of Greensboro, GA, died on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 at Hill Haven Nursing Home in Commerce, GA. Wallace was born in Greensboro, GA on September 7, 1922, the son of the late Marion O. Patton, Sr. and Lucy Cox Patton. He graduated from Greensboro High School in 1940. On October 17, 1942, Wallace enlisted in the Army Air Corps at Fort McPherson and was sent to Marianna, FL where he was assigned to the Control Tower Advanced Single Engine School. In 1944 he finished gunnery school at Fort Myers, FL and was assigned to a Night Fighter Crew on P61 Black Widow. He completed navigation school at Van Nyes, CA and then finished as a remote turret controller. He later left New York on a flight to China, Burma and India where he joined the 426 Nighter Squadron which was part of the 20th Air Corps. After serving in China, Burma and India he was discharged on January 16, 1946. On April 1, 1946 he joined J. H. McCommons Co. where he was the manager of the grocery department. In 1950 he received his license as a funeral director from Gupton Jones Embalming School and continued to work at McCommons Funeral Home for sixty-one years.

Wallace was a faithful member of the First Baptist Church of Greensboro since boyhood, serving as deacon, secretary-treasurer of Hamp''s Sunday School Class for thirty-six years and chairman of the Property Committee since 1989 overseeing all of the repairs and renovations. He was the first one at the church at all services and the last one to leave taking care of the heat, air conditioning and locking up. As a member of the VFW Post 4259 he served as Quarter Master for over fifty-one years. He was also secretary for the San Marino Lodge #34 for forty-six years the second longest active term in the state of Georgia. He had a love for gardening and enjoyed camping in the mountains.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Ruth McDonald Patton in 2001. He is survived by a daughter, Debbie Sue Patton Brice and husband Sam of Commerce, GA; two grandchildren, Kim Fuller of Duluth, GA and James Fuller of Athens, GA; a brother, Roger G. Patton of Vacaville, CA; his faithful dog companion, Abby; and a host of other relatives and friends. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Funeral Services will be held Thursday, May 17, 2007 at 11:00 a.m. at the First Baptist Church in Greensboro with the Rev. Michael Hardy officiating. Interment will follow at Greensboro City Cemetery. Serving as pallbearers are Robert Simpson, Jimmy Wheeler, Johnny Lewis, Fred Moon, Pep Stone, Sidney Bryson and Chris Houston. Honorary pallbearers are members of the San Marino Lodge, Hamp''s Sunday School Class, Mike Vinson, Jim Cox, Hamilton Coronet, the staff of McCommons Funeral Home, Steve McCommons, Billy McCommons, Curtis Whitaker, Richard Smith, Wynn Copelan, Milton Meadows, Dede Smith and Trudy McCommons. The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday night at the funeral home. The family requests that any memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church Building Fund, 203 S. Main Street, Greensboro, GA 30642. McCommons Funeral Home, 109 W. Broad St., Greensboro, GA, (706) 453-2626, is in charge of arrangements. Visit us at www.mccommonsfuneralhome.com to sign the online guest register.

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