Funeral services for James E. Darby, Sr., age 82 of Columbia, will be held at 2:00 PM Sunday, March 10, 2013 at Riser Funeral Home in Columbia with Rev. Jerry Ward officiating. Interment will follow at Columbia Hill Cemetery. Visitation will be Saturday from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the funeral home.
James was called home Tuesday evening to be with his loving wife of 53 years, Mellie Seay Darby and his daughter, Jan Darby Powell. He was a career Master Sergeant in the United States Air Force and was a honorable retired war veteran. After his retirement from the Air Force, he served an additional 20 years as a civil service employee on the Naval base in Corpus Christi, TX.
He is survived by his son: James E. Darby, Jr. of Monroe, LA; daughter: Evelyn Kay Eden and her husband Clay of Spendora, TX; step-daughter: Marilyn Foster and her husband Jim of GA; grandchildren: Darren Williams and his wife Leanne, Danielle Hutto, James McClanahan, Dustin Hornsby and his wife Brandi, Vanessa Saunders and her husband Marc, Blake Darby; multiple great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be Donnie Williams, Blake Darby, Laine Hutto, Darren Williams, Coal Hillestad, and Jackie Lawrence. Honorary Pallbearer will be Dale Powell.