Coy Dane Dillahunty

Coy Dane Dillahunty was born in Altus, Arkansas on August 9th, 1930 to his father Freeman Dillahunty and his mother Ora Leona Hall Dillahunty. Coy passed away on March 23rd, 2023 at the age of 92 1/2. He is survived by his wife Beverly Cleo Shepherd Dillahunty, son Bruce Coy Dillahunty and his wife Melanie Beth (Ball) Dillahunty and grandson Rev. Dane Edward Dillahunty and wife Janna Elizabeth Russell Dillahunty and one brother Doyle Dillahunty and wife Donna Dillahunty. Preceding him in death were his siblings Irene McSwain, Hoyt Dillahunty and Harlan Dillahunty; father, Freeman Dillahunty; mother,Ora Leona Hall Dillahunty, and step mother: Olga Gotcher Dillahunty. The town of Ozark was a rural town in the mountains of Arkansas where Coy's father owned a sawmill, farmed and had other businesses. Coy grew up working - he drove the log truck well before what we would know as a legal age, had already wired their house when electricity finally arrived when he was 18, and moved on to digging graves for the city. When the Korean War broke out he was drafted into the Army and served as a tank gunner during his deployment. Leaving the military Coy owned a gas station and went to diesel mechanic's school. When some business dealings didn't pan out, he re-enlisted in the military - just in time for Vietnam. The family always laughed that he managed to be in for both wars and out in peacetime. This tour was in aviation (helicopter and fixed wing) maintenance. When Bruce was born Coy was looking to be re-deployed to Vietnam and decided to leave the military and moved to Atlanta, beginning his career in aviation maintenance. Working a short time for Southern Airlines, he then instructed aircraft maintenance at the then Atlanta Area Tech before getting a position at Delta Air Lines where he retired in May of 1990 as an Inspector. During his time at Delta the family purchased some land in Concord, GA which happened to already have Christmas Trees planted - how hard can it be? He soon found out, but he tackled Christmas Tree farming as most things in his life, with vigor and success. He served as an officer with the Georgia Christmas Tree Growers association for several years, even after health issues led him to stop actively cultivating trees. Coy and Beverly moved to Concord from Jonesboro in 1996 and lived there until 2018 when they moved to their current home with Bruce and Melanie. Coy was active in his church over the years, having been baptized while posted in Enterprise, Alabama, ordained as a deacon at the Lee Hall church in Virginia, met and married Beverly while attending Benning Park Baptist in Columbus and was an active member at Jonesboro First Baptist once they moved to this area. In the last couple of years he hasn't been able to physically attend, so he usually watched the online service Lake Mystic Baptist Church's (Bristol, FL) where his grandson Dane is the associate pastor each Sunday. Funeral services will be held at 11 AM, Saturday, April 1st, 2023 at First Baptist Church Jonesboro Chapel, with Rev. Allen Davis officiating. Burial will be held at 3 PM at Evergreen Memorial Gardens in Columbus. The family will receive friends from 6-8 PM, Friday, March 31, 2023 at the funeral home. Flowers accepted or memorials can be made to Sacred Journey Hospice, 138 Peach Drive McDonough, GA 30253 or First Baptist Church Jonesboro, P.O. Box 773 Jonesboro, GA 30237. Ford-Stewart Funeral Home, Inc., Jonesboro/Stockbridge 770-210-2700. fordstewartfuneralhome.com

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Coy Dane Dillahunty

August 9, 1930 - March 23, 2023