Obituaries

A veteran of WWII, Korea and Vietnam died Tuesday, January 5, 2010. Jack Gordon Persall, Lt. Colonel United States Army (Retired) was 86 years old. He was not a showy man and you had to dig to find out his military service, Given up at birth by his biological mother, Thelma Renfroe, he was adopted by a local Cordele couple, Charles and Susie (Clements) Persall. They divorced when he was a child and he lived with his adoptive mother Susie until she died when he was 14. Shortly after, his adoptive father also died and he entered the foster care system. At age 16 he was granted refuge by Irma and Wiley Johnston of Cordele. Mr. Johnston was his Sunday School teacher. As a star athlete at Cordele High School he was co-captain of the football team and he won many awards in track. He loved Cordele and often spoke of his childhood there. Although it was difficult, his memories were of overcoming tough times. He remembered being paid a quarter a week for raising and lowering the flag at school. He had a paper route that helped feed him and his adoptive mother, Susie.  Although underage, he joined the Georgia National Guard until his age was discovered. During WWII he served in the United States Navy at Pensacola Air Station. He gained a commission as an officer in the Regular United States Army and served in Korea. He was awarded a Bronze Star for bravery and a Purple Heart for wounds received in a fierce battle. As the Vietnam War was fought, he served three tours as a military advisor.  He was supported on the home front by his late wife, Cordele native Ardith Gannon Persall, who, after 59 years of marriage died in 2002 in Florida. Her parents owned a dry cleaning business, Gannon’s Dry Cleaners, where he worked until he started his military career. After her death he married his best man’s widow, Evelyn Stevens Rachels in 2003 and returned to Cordele.  He is survived by many who loved him: his wife, Evelyn R. Persall of Cordele, GA and his children, Jerry (Mary) Gordon Persall of Castle Rock, CO; Tommy Gannon Persall of Tucson, AZ; Jill P.(Wayne) Hughes of Owensboro, KY and Judy A. Persall of Sequim, WA. Grandchildren include Jeffrey Gannon Hughes of Boise, ID and Charles (Mindy) Hughes of Owensboro, KY. A great grandchild is Emma Jean Hughes of Owensboro, KY. Others include his aunt, Reba Smithline of Milledgeville, GA; Charlie Persall of Dixon, CA and Sarah Persall Christmas of Hatley, GA along with his biological father’s eleven children.  Interment with full military honors will be at Bay Pines National Cemetery, St. Petersburg, FL on Monday, January 11, 2010 at 2:15 p.m.