William James “Jim” Duckworth, USN Ret., 70 of Flat Rock passed away at his home on Thursday, November 29, 2018 after a short battle with cancer.
Born in Hickory, NC he was a son of the late Sidney Duckworth and Mary Scott. Jim enlisted in the Navy at the age of 19 and his assignments took him to San Diego, Calif., Macon, Georgia and Charleston, SC among others. He served in the Vietnam War and earned his master’s degree in IT, before retiring in 1995 with the rank of master chief after 28 years of service. He then moved to Flat Rock in 2001 and taught Computer Science at Blue Ridge Community College.
He was a member of East Flat Rock Baptist Church where he also taught Sunday School.
Jim was preceded in death by a grandson Cooper O’Brien.
Surviving is his wife of 42 years, Ramona Duckworth; their children, a daughter Julie and her two children; a son Steve Underwood (Laura) and his two children; and a daughter Donna O’Brien (Kevin) and her child; four great-grandchildren; his brother, Danny; his two sisters Mary Ann and Kay; and several nieces and nephews.
A funeral service will be held at 3:00pm on Sunday at East Flat Rock First Baptist Church. Revs. Brent Thomas and Jeff Neeland will officiate. The family will receive friends from 2:00pm until 3:00pm prior to the service in the church. Burial will take place in Milan, Georgia.
Memorials may be made to Cooper’s Crew c/o Community Foundation of North East Georgia, 6500 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth, GA 30097, www.CFNEG.org 770-813-3380.
The Old Salt:
By Mac McGovern
The Old Salt was a special man
who came along in a time
when he was needed most.
A time that is now gone forever.
When men believed and sacrificed,
when hero’s walked the earth in mass.
When patriotism was not just a word
but,
by what men lived and judged
the worth of each,
a man who lived a life
most of us cannot comprehend.
An era now gone
as this warriors tour of duty ends
at this station, and begins anew
in the heavenly fleet.
Sail on Sailor into your unaccompanied tour,
we salute you.
What greater honor, that when a man moves forward,
he leaves behind in each of us
the best of what he was.
A defender, protector, supporter, victor, a warrior,
the last of the breed from an era
when ships were made of wood
and men were made of steel.
The Old Salt has reported for duty
that takes him away from us for now.
Those of us who remain behind,
remember, and will continue to remember,
because he now resides forever in our hearts.
As I look up at night, I envision The Old Salt,
a beret draped just above the eye,
as he draws upon his pipe,
quietly he waits.
The guardian of heaven’s gate.
Born in Hickory, NC he was a son of the late Sidney Duckworth and Mary Scott. Jim enlisted in the Navy at the age of 19 and his assignments took him to San Diego, Calif., Macon, Georgia and Charleston, SC among others. He served in the Vietnam War and earned his master’s degree in IT, before retiring in 1995 with the rank of master chief after 28 years of service. He then moved to Flat Rock in 2001 and taught Computer Science at Blue Ridge Community College.
He was a member of East Flat Rock Baptist Church where he also taught Sunday School.
Jim was preceded in death by a grandson Cooper O’Brien.
Surviving is his wife of 42 years, Ramona Duckworth; their children, a daughter Julie and her two children; a son Steve Underwood (Laura) and his two children; and a daughter Donna O’Brien (Kevin) and her child; four great-grandchildren; his brother, Danny; his two sisters Mary Ann and Kay; and several nieces and nephews.
A funeral service will be held at 3:00pm on Sunday at East Flat Rock First Baptist Church. Revs. Brent Thomas and Jeff Neeland will officiate. The family will receive friends from 2:00pm until 3:00pm prior to the service in the church. Burial will take place in Milan, Georgia.
Memorials may be made to Cooper’s Crew c/o Community Foundation of North East Georgia, 6500 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth, GA 30097, www.CFNEG.org 770-813-3380.
The Old Salt:
By Mac McGovern
The Old Salt was a special man
who came along in a time
when he was needed most.
A time that is now gone forever.
When men believed and sacrificed,
when hero’s walked the earth in mass.
When patriotism was not just a word
but,
by what men lived and judged
the worth of each,
a man who lived a life
most of us cannot comprehend.
An era now gone
as this warriors tour of duty ends
at this station, and begins anew
in the heavenly fleet.
Sail on Sailor into your unaccompanied tour,
we salute you.
What greater honor, that when a man moves forward,
he leaves behind in each of us
the best of what he was.
A defender, protector, supporter, victor, a warrior,
the last of the breed from an era
when ships were made of wood
and men were made of steel.
The Old Salt has reported for duty
that takes him away from us for now.
Those of us who remain behind,
remember, and will continue to remember,
because he now resides forever in our hearts.
As I look up at night, I envision The Old Salt,
a beret draped just above the eye,
as he draws upon his pipe,
quietly he waits.
The guardian of heaven’s gate.
William James “Jim” Duckworth, USN Ret., 70 of Flat Rock passed away at his home on Thursday, November 29, 2018 after a short battle with cancer.
Born in Hickory, NC he was a son of the late Sidney Duckworth and Mary Scott. Jim enlisted in the Navy at the age of 19 and his assignments took him to San Diego, Calif., Macon, Georgia and Charleston, SC among others. He served in the Vietnam War and earned his master’s degree in IT, before retiring in 1995 with the rank of master chief after 28 years of service. He then moved to Flat Rock in 2001 and taught Computer Science at Blue Ridge Community College.
He was a member of East Flat Rock Baptist Church where he also taught Sunday School.
Jim was preceded in death by a grandson Cooper O’Brien.
Surviving is his wife of 42 years, Ramona Duckworth; their children, a daughter Julie and her two children; a son Steve Underwood (Laura) and his two children; and a daughter Donna O’Brien (Kevin) and her child; four great-grandchildren; his brother, Danny; his two sisters Mary Ann and Kay; and several nieces and nephews.
A funeral service will be held at 3:00pm on Sunday at East Flat Rock First Baptist Church. Revs. Brent Thomas and Jeff Neeland will officiate. The family will receive friends from 2:00pm until 3:00pm prior to the service in the church. Burial will take place in Milan, Georgia.
Memorials may be made to Cooper’s Crew c/o Community Foundation of North East Georgia, 6500 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth, GA 30097, www.CFNEG.org 770-813-3380.
The Old Salt:
By Mac McGovern
The Old Salt was a special man
who came along in a time
when he was needed most.
A time that is now gone forever.
When men believed and sacrificed,
when hero’s walked the earth in mass.
When patriotism was not just a word
but,
by what men lived and judged
the worth of each,
a man who lived a life
most of us cannot comprehend.
An era now gone
as this warriors tour of duty ends
at this station, and begins anew
in the heavenly fleet.
Sail on Sailor into your unaccompanied tour,
we salute you.
What greater honor, that when a man moves forward,
he leaves behind in each of us
the best of what he was.
A defender, protector, supporter, victor, a warrior,
the last of the breed from an era
when ships were made of wood
and men were made of steel.
The Old Salt has reported for duty
that takes him away from us for now.
Those of us who remain behind,
remember, and will continue to remember,
because he now resides forever in our hearts.
As I look up at night, I envision The Old Salt,
a beret draped just above the eye,
as he draws upon his pipe,
quietly he waits.
The guardian of heaven’s gate.
Born in Hickory, NC he was a son of the late Sidney Duckworth and Mary Scott. Jim enlisted in the Navy at the age of 19 and his assignments took him to San Diego, Calif., Macon, Georgia and Charleston, SC among others. He served in the Vietnam War and earned his master’s degree in IT, before retiring in 1995 with the rank of master chief after 28 years of service. He then moved to Flat Rock in 2001 and taught Computer Science at Blue Ridge Community College.
He was a member of East Flat Rock Baptist Church where he also taught Sunday School.
Jim was preceded in death by a grandson Cooper O’Brien.
Surviving is his wife of 42 years, Ramona Duckworth; their children, a daughter Julie and her two children; a son Steve Underwood (Laura) and his two children; and a daughter Donna O’Brien (Kevin) and her child; four great-grandchildren; his brother, Danny; his two sisters Mary Ann and Kay; and several nieces and nephews.
A funeral service will be held at 3:00pm on Sunday at East Flat Rock First Baptist Church. Revs. Brent Thomas and Jeff Neeland will officiate. The family will receive friends from 2:00pm until 3:00pm prior to the service in the church. Burial will take place in Milan, Georgia.
Memorials may be made to Cooper’s Crew c/o Community Foundation of North East Georgia, 6500 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth, GA 30097, www.CFNEG.org 770-813-3380.
The Old Salt:
By Mac McGovern
The Old Salt was a special man
who came along in a time
when he was needed most.
A time that is now gone forever.
When men believed and sacrificed,
when hero’s walked the earth in mass.
When patriotism was not just a word
but,
by what men lived and judged
the worth of each,
a man who lived a life
most of us cannot comprehend.
An era now gone
as this warriors tour of duty ends
at this station, and begins anew
in the heavenly fleet.
Sail on Sailor into your unaccompanied tour,
we salute you.
What greater honor, that when a man moves forward,
he leaves behind in each of us
the best of what he was.
A defender, protector, supporter, victor, a warrior,
the last of the breed from an era
when ships were made of wood
and men were made of steel.
The Old Salt has reported for duty
that takes him away from us for now.
Those of us who remain behind,
remember, and will continue to remember,
because he now resides forever in our hearts.
As I look up at night, I envision The Old Salt,
a beret draped just above the eye,
as he draws upon his pipe,
quietly he waits.
The guardian of heaven’s gate.
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