Owen Royce Council

Owen Royce Council, age 88, entered into rest, surrounded by his loved ones, at Eden Springs Nursing Home in Medart on Sunday, March 20, 2011. He was born August 5, 1922, to Lawrence & Josephine Council in Terra Ceia Island, Florida. His family moved to Crawfordville when he was seven years old, where he has lived since. He was a Paratrooper with the 101st Airborne Screaming Eagles and a Pathfinder, the 7th American to parachute into France on D-Day. He was wounded twice in action, spent nine months in a German prisoner-of-war camp. He was awarded two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts, among many other medals. First to go into combat on D-Day on June 6, 1944, Pathfinders like him jumped in the dark well before first light, as low as 400 feet, to set out fluorescent landing markers and radio contact for the paratroopers and gliders that were to follow. Then they were to disrupt German communications and cut off the beaches from German reinforcements. Visitation will be held Tuesday, March 22, 2011 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Friendship Primitive Baptist Church in Medart. Service will be Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at 3:00 p.m. at Friendship Primitive Baptist Church in Medart. Bevis Funeral Home, Harvey-Young Chapel in Crawfordville is in charge of arrangements. While stationed at Camp Gordon in Augusta, Georgia he met, Eleanor Jones Council. They married on November 10, 1942. He is survived by their daughters, Judy Duprey of Woodville, Beverly Council of Crawfordville and Laura Jo Rocco and her husband, Louis A. Rocco, III of Alligator Point. Grandchildren Lynette Pitchford, Tammy Clark and Woolley Sanders; great grandchildren Michael McGuire, Jordan McGuire, Ashley Alexander, Dustin Smith, Demi Smith and Colton James Sanders; great-great- grandsons Trenton McGuire and Jordan McGuire, Jr. He is also survived by his sweetheart of 20 years, Wynelle Wiginton of Crawfordville. He was preceded in death by his wife, Eleanor, grandson, Robbie Alexander; brothers, Major, Ernest and Gary Council. Sisters, Dorothy Loftin, Josephine Smith and Joyce Council. In his later years he married Mary McCallister Brown and helped raise four of her children, Teresa, Denise, Bo and Joe Brown. He later adopted Teresa’s first four daughters, Tiffany, Wendy, Christie and Terry Lynn. He was preceded in death by Mary and Bo. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to VFW Post 4536, Eden Springs Nursing Home, 4679 Crawfordville Highway, Crawfordville, FL 32327 or Big Bend Hospice for the Wakulla team, 1723 Mahan Center Blvd, Tallahassee, FL 32308.

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Owen Royce Council

August 5, 1922 - March 20, 2011