Funeral service for CSM (Ret.) Joseph " Joe" A. Bacon Jr., 80, of Lawton will be at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, April 24, 2009 at Lawton Heights United Methodist Church with Rev. Charles King, pastor, officiating.
Mr. Bacon died Sunday, April 19th, 2009 in Lawton, Oklahoma.
Interment will be at Fort Sill National Cemetery, Elgin, Oklahoma under the direction of Lawton Ritter Gray Funeral Home.
A special viewing and visitation for family and friends will be held on Thursday, April 23, 2009 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home.
Joseph A. Bacon, Jr. was born on March 13, 1929 in Plains, Georgia to Joseph A. and Elizabeth (Pennington) Bacon, Sr. He grew up in Plains, Georgia where he attended local schools and graduated from Plains High School in 1946. He married Thelma Fox on December 17, 1951 in Plains, Georgia. He joined the United States Army and served two tours in Vietnam. He received the Good Conduct Medal (7th Award), National Defense Service Medal(1st OLC), Bronze Star Medal (3d OLC), Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal (3d OLC), Meritorious Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Commendation Medal, Vietnam Unit Citation Republic of Vietnam Civil Act, Overseas Service Bars (4), Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Army Occupation Medal, and the Bronze Star Medal with V Device (20LC). He was a member of the Honorable Order of Saint Barbara, a military honor society for field artillery. After thirty years of service, Mr. Bacon retired on June 1, 1984 in Fort Lewis, Washington with the rank of CSM. He and his wife moved to Lawton, Oklahoma where he began work with civil service at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He was a member of Lawton Heights United Methodist Church where he taught Sunday School. He was also a member on the discipleship team, served on the finance committee, served as the Lay Leader and drove the bus. He was also the past president with of the North West Kiwanis Club, South Central District Square Dance Association and the Sill-O-Ette Square Dance Club. He volunteered with the Salvation Army as a bell ringer and also volunteered with the Easter Pageant. He enjoyed being outdoors hunting and fishing.
He is survived by his wife of 57 years, of the home; his sons, Tim Bacon and his wife, Mona, of San Antonio, Texas, Michael Bacon, and his wife, Tinh, of Champaign, Illinois, Don Bacon, of Liberty, Missouri, and Clay Bacon, and his wife, Gayle, of Salt Lake City, Utah; his brother, Bobby Bacon, and his wife, Martha, of Plains, Georgia; his sisters, Kathryn Mauldin, of Seneca, South Carolina, Sarah Paradise, of Americus, Georgia, Nelle Mallard, of Sarasota, Florida, and Marie Bacon, of Marietta, Georgia; seven grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Gene Bacon.
Memorial Contributions may be made to Lawton Heights United Methodist Church at PO Box 2876, Lawton, Oklahoma 73502 or to the donor' s choice.