Colonel Otis Lee Rhoney of Hickory, passed away on July 20, 2017 at age 97.
He was born on December 20, 1919 to his parents, William Austin & Bessie Rhoney of Vale and was a devoted son, brother, son, uncle and father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
Lee was an Airforce officer, serving in World War II in Europe and in Korea as a Bomber Pilot. He flew two missions on D-Day in his B-24 Liberator and served our country for over 30 years. He lived in several countries such as England and Germany and in states such as New Mexico, Virginia, Texas, North Carolina, Hawaii, and Washington, DC.
He retired from the service in 1973 and moved back to Hickory with his wife Peary Lea Propst, daughter of Perry Johnson and Martha Yancey Propst.
He-Lee and She-Lea raised two sons and are survived by, Dale, an orthodontist, (Hickory 1945) and his wife of 49 years, Kay Moffat who live in Portland, Oregon; Scott an EPA Scientist,(Las Crucis, NM 1953) and his wife Kathy Motillo live in Raleigh. Dale's children, Suzanne and her husband Erik live in Ojai, Ca.with their two boys, Max and Hawk; Michelle and her husband Shams and their son to be, Otis, live in Portland, Oregon. Lee is also survived by his sister, Tawanna Jarrett and husband Jacob, their son, Todd and wife Amy along with daughter Cheyenne, all of Vale.
Lee's wife Lea, whom he extremely loved and was devoted to, passed away in 2015 after being married to him for 71 years.
He loved golf, flying and Cadillacs and was considered a good man by all.
He and Lea attended First Baptist Church for years. Many generations of his family are buried at Beulah and Ebinezer Churches in Vale.
Lee had a red Corvette that he finally gave to his sister when she got old enough, but had other sports cars in his lifetime as well, including MGTD's, MGB, Porsches, Datsuns, and TBirds.
A service will be held at 3:00 PM, Saturday, July 22, 2017 in the Mausoleum at Catawba Memorial Park officiated by Chaplain Bruce Dayton. Military Rites will follow.
Source Citation: Bass-Smith Funeral Home
He was born on December 20, 1919 to his parents, William Austin & Bessie Rhoney of Vale and was a devoted son, brother, son, uncle and father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
Lee was an Airforce officer, serving in World War II in Europe and in Korea as a Bomber Pilot. He flew two missions on D-Day in his B-24 Liberator and served our country for over 30 years. He lived in several countries such as England and Germany and in states such as New Mexico, Virginia, Texas, North Carolina, Hawaii, and Washington, DC.
He retired from the service in 1973 and moved back to Hickory with his wife Peary Lea Propst, daughter of Perry Johnson and Martha Yancey Propst.
He-Lee and She-Lea raised two sons and are survived by, Dale, an orthodontist, (Hickory 1945) and his wife of 49 years, Kay Moffat who live in Portland, Oregon; Scott an EPA Scientist,(Las Crucis, NM 1953) and his wife Kathy Motillo live in Raleigh. Dale's children, Suzanne and her husband Erik live in Ojai, Ca.with their two boys, Max and Hawk; Michelle and her husband Shams and their son to be, Otis, live in Portland, Oregon. Lee is also survived by his sister, Tawanna Jarrett and husband Jacob, their son, Todd and wife Amy along with daughter Cheyenne, all of Vale.
Lee's wife Lea, whom he extremely loved and was devoted to, passed away in 2015 after being married to him for 71 years.
He loved golf, flying and Cadillacs and was considered a good man by all.
He and Lea attended First Baptist Church for years. Many generations of his family are buried at Beulah and Ebinezer Churches in Vale.
Lee had a red Corvette that he finally gave to his sister when she got old enough, but had other sports cars in his lifetime as well, including MGTD's, MGB, Porsches, Datsuns, and TBirds.
A service will be held at 3:00 PM, Saturday, July 22, 2017 in the Mausoleum at Catawba Memorial Park officiated by Chaplain Bruce Dayton. Military Rites will follow.
Source Citation: Bass-Smith Funeral Home
Colonel Otis Lee Rhoney of Hickory, passed away on July 20, 2017 at age 97.
He was born on December 20, 1919 to his parents, William Austin & Bessie Rhoney of Vale and was a devoted son, brother, son, uncle and father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
Lee was an Airforce officer, serving in World War II in Europe and in Korea as a Bomber Pilot. He flew two missions on D-Day in his B-24 Liberator and served our country for over 30 years. He lived in several countries such as England and Germany and in states such as New Mexico, Virginia, Texas, North Carolina, Hawaii, and Washington, DC.
He retired from the service in 1973 and moved back to Hickory with his wife Peary Lea Propst, daughter of Perry Johnson and Martha Yancey Propst.
He-Lee and She-Lea raised two sons and are survived by, Dale, an orthodontist, (Hickory 1945) and his wife of 49 years, Kay Moffat who live in Portland, Oregon; Scott an EPA Scientist,(Las Crucis, NM 1953) and his wife Kathy Motillo live in Raleigh. Dale's children, Suzanne and her husband Erik live in Ojai, Ca.with their two boys, Max and Hawk; Michelle and her husband Shams and their son to be, Otis, live in Portland, Oregon. Lee is also survived by his sister, Tawanna Jarrett and husband Jacob, their son, Todd and wife Amy along with daughter Cheyenne, all of Vale.
Lee's wife Lea, whom he extremely loved and was devoted to, passed away in 2015 after being married to him for 71 years.
He loved golf, flying and Cadillacs and was considered a good man by all.
He and Lea attended First Baptist Church for years. Many generations of his family are buried at Beulah and Ebinezer Churches in Vale.
Lee had a red Corvette that he finally gave to his sister when she got old enough, but had other sports cars in his lifetime as well, including MGTD's, MGB, Porsches, Datsuns, and TBirds.
A service will be held at 3:00 PM, Saturday, July 22, 2017 in the Mausoleum at Catawba Memorial Park officiated by Chaplain Bruce Dayton. Military Rites will follow.
Source Citation: Bass-Smith Funeral Home
He was born on December 20, 1919 to his parents, William Austin & Bessie Rhoney of Vale and was a devoted son, brother, son, uncle and father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
Lee was an Airforce officer, serving in World War II in Europe and in Korea as a Bomber Pilot. He flew two missions on D-Day in his B-24 Liberator and served our country for over 30 years. He lived in several countries such as England and Germany and in states such as New Mexico, Virginia, Texas, North Carolina, Hawaii, and Washington, DC.
He retired from the service in 1973 and moved back to Hickory with his wife Peary Lea Propst, daughter of Perry Johnson and Martha Yancey Propst.
He-Lee and She-Lea raised two sons and are survived by, Dale, an orthodontist, (Hickory 1945) and his wife of 49 years, Kay Moffat who live in Portland, Oregon; Scott an EPA Scientist,(Las Crucis, NM 1953) and his wife Kathy Motillo live in Raleigh. Dale's children, Suzanne and her husband Erik live in Ojai, Ca.with their two boys, Max and Hawk; Michelle and her husband Shams and their son to be, Otis, live in Portland, Oregon. Lee is also survived by his sister, Tawanna Jarrett and husband Jacob, their son, Todd and wife Amy along with daughter Cheyenne, all of Vale.
Lee's wife Lea, whom he extremely loved and was devoted to, passed away in 2015 after being married to him for 71 years.
He loved golf, flying and Cadillacs and was considered a good man by all.
He and Lea attended First Baptist Church for years. Many generations of his family are buried at Beulah and Ebinezer Churches in Vale.
Lee had a red Corvette that he finally gave to his sister when she got old enough, but had other sports cars in his lifetime as well, including MGTD's, MGB, Porsches, Datsuns, and TBirds.
A service will be held at 3:00 PM, Saturday, July 22, 2017 in the Mausoleum at Catawba Memorial Park officiated by Chaplain Bruce Dayton. Military Rites will follow.
Source Citation: Bass-Smith Funeral Home
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