Prayer Blog - 12/9/2008, #2

Longtime church member Clyde Hylton (CDH) passed away yesterday. His funeral will be held tomorrow night at 8 pm with my father serving as one of the pallbearers. Please keep his family and friends in your prayers.

Here is CDH’s obituary as it appeared in the Knoxville News-Sentinel:

HYLTON, CLYDE D. - age 87 of Knoxville, passed away Monday, December 8, 2008 at St. Mary's Residential Hospice. He was a member of theCentral Baptist Church, Bearden where his greatest joy came from working with children in the pre-school Sunday School. Clyde was born in Lincoln Park, Oakwood community in Knoxville, Tennessee, graduated from old Knoxville High School with the class of 1939 and from the University of Tennessee in Spring 1947 with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. A veteran of WWII serving in the European Theater, he was part of the 256th Engineer Combat Battalion which was attached to the 3rd Infantry Division. Together they liberated the "Colmar Pocket" on February 2, 1945. Clyde's battalion was given a commendation by the Major General F.W. Milburn, commander of the 21st Corps. The Mayor of Colmar, France also authorized the wearing of the Arms of Colmar by the 256th E.C.B. After the war, Clyde was assigned to the Allied mission for observing the elections in Greece, a part of the "Truman Document." He was active in the Reserves and retired from the United States Army as a Lieutenant Colonel. Clyde retired from Union Carbide Corp. having worked at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in experimental nuclear recovery programs and later with utilities at the Y-12 Plant. Clyde learned to play tennis at an early age because of the interest of his older brother, Harry. He credited this game for enriching his life with very many close friends. He was a charter member of the Knoxville Racquet Club and was highly involved in senior tennis. Clyde was preceded in death by parents, P.D. and Rosa Branson Hylton; siblings, Pete Hylton, Lillie Mae Starmer, Harry Hylton. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Josie K. Hylton; son, Clyde Dayton Hylton, Jr. and daughter-in-law, Sheila Hylton of Knoxville; daughter, Hannah H. O'Neal and son-in-law, Dwight O'Neal, of McMinnville, Tennessee; daughter, Jan Ellen H. Boyer and son-in-law, Mark Boyer of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; daughter, Susan H. LeHoven and son-in-law, Tony LeHoven of Kauai, Hawaii; five grandchildren, Joe and Chris O'Neal, Katie and Logan Boyer and Taylor Martin; numerous nieces and nephews; sister, Hannah Pedersen and his good friends and adopted brothers, Dr. Reese Patterson and Floyd Stone. Funeral service will be 8:00 P.M. Wednesday at Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel with The Reverend Bill Couch and Reverend Archie Fendley officiating. Family and friends will meet Thursday at Highland Memorial Cemetery for a 2:00 P.M. interment service. Memorials may be made to Central Baptist Church, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, 6300 Deanne Hill Drive, Knoxville, TN 37919 or to St. Mary's Residential Hospice, 7447 Andersonville Pike, Knoxville, TN 37938. The family will receive friends 4-8:00 P.M. Wednesday at Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel.