Howard Eugene Gentry, age 89, of Parrish went home to be with The Lord on Monday, February 20th, 2017.
The family will receive friends on Thursday, February 23, 2017 at 12:00 p.m. at Collins-Burke Funeral Home. Funeral services will be Thursday, February 23, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. in the Collins-Burke Chapel, with burial at Walker Memory Gardens. Ben Godwin will officiate.
He is survived by 3 sons: Gary Gentry (Peggy) of Denver, Colorado; Marc Gentry (Mary) of Lilburn, Georgia; Dale Gentry (Kathy) of Parrish, Alabama; Two sisters: Meddie Waid of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama and Julia Mimna of Cleveland, Ohio. 5 grandchildren, 8 great grandchildren and a host of nieces and nephews.
Those who went home before Howard are Mary Ruth Thompson Gentry, wife of 55 years; mother, Violet Yeager Gentry; father, Marvin Hollowell Gentry; 2 brothers, James (Jamon) Edward and John Calvin; 2 sisters, Vera Kilpatrick and Hazel Bazydlo.
He was born July 14th, 1927 in Bibb County, Alabama and moved to Parrish at the age of 7. He was known to his close family and friends as “Pappy”, and to those with whom he worked at Segco coal mine in Parrish, as “Booger”. He served in the U.S. Army AirCorp after WW II and in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean Conflict. He was very proud to have also served Boy Scout Troop 155 at Parrish as a leader for 23 years.
He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend. He will be missed on this earth, but our loss is Heaven’s gain.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorial donations be made to the Boy Scouts of America.
