More detail on this person: Ltc (ret) Spurlock
was my Commander and Pilot while I was with the
199th Lt. Inf Bgd. Avn Sec. His wife let me know
about his death in Columbus Ga. 12-29-12 from
extended illness..As I find out more info will
forward if requested...He had a varied and
historic Army aviation background that I cannot
give any info on at this time. He became Command
Officer of our Aviation Section after leaving the
191st AHC..that's all I can find info on at this
timeThank You Art Grosch 199th L.I.B Avn
Sec11-67--1068
Lt. Col. (Retired) William Winston "Bill" Spurlock
passed away on December 29, 2012 at Spring
Harbor of Green Island at the age of 87.
A Memorial Service will be held at 2:30 on Sunday,
January 6, at Striffler-Hamby Funeral Home on
Macon Road.
LTC Spurlock was born on September 20, 1926 in
Cheyenne Hills, Colorado, to the late LTC
(Retired) William Washington Spurlock and the late
Louise Brown Spurlock. He has been a resident of
Columbus since 1979.
He retired from the U.S. Army on April 30, 1977 in
Fort Ord, California, having served 27 years. He
served in WWII, the Korean War and two tours of
duty in Vietnam where he was in combat the entire
time of service. He served as a helicopter pilot
as well as a fixed winged aircraft pilot. He spent
two years in the U.S. Marines prior to joining the
U.S. Army. During his army career he was awarded
many decorations, medals, badges,
commendations and campaign ribbons and
because of his love of flying, perhaps the
Distinguished Flying Cross was his most cherished.
LTC Spurlock and his wife, Melba, traveled
extensively to Europe, Spain, South Africa, China,
and South East Asia. Their trip to Ho Chi Minh
City in Viet Nam was quite different from the time
LTC Spurlock spent there during the war. The
return visit for him was a healing process from
the mental agonies of war.
LTC Spurlock earned his BA and MA degrees from
the University of Texas. He worked as a Real
Estate agent with French & Whitten Realtors until
he retired in 1987.
He was predeceased in death by a sister, Norma
Louise Spurlock Jenkins, of Oklahoma City, OK.
He is survived by his wife of 26 years, Melba Dean
Collins Spurlock; his half-sister, Connie Marshner
(William), of Front Royal, VA; his daughter,
Rebecca Spurlock Snyder (Fritz) of Alvin, TX; her
son, John Sollie, (Holly) and their children
(Bill's great grand-children), Jake and Taylor
O'Neal, of Gulf Shores, AL; his daughter, Cynthia
Spurlock Shannon (Kevin) of Perth, Australia; his
sons, Kevin Michael (Sarah) Shannon, of Houston,
TX, and Collin (Nicole) Shannon, of Sydney,
Australia; his step-son, Michael D. Collins
(Jenny) of Columbus, GA; step-son, Clay
McCullhos, of Dothan, AL; step-son, Stuart
McCullohs (Staci) of Atlanta, GA; his
step-daughter, Donna Collins Hallman (William) of
Athens, GA, step-grand-daughter, Christie Paulk
(Myron) of Athens, GA; his step-son, David Eugene
Dill, of Crawfordville, FL; and his niece, Leslie
Jenkins Jackson (Sherri), and nephew, Steve
Jenkins, of Oklahoma City, OK.
The family extends their thanks and appreciation
to Columbus Hospice and to the Skilled Nursing
Department of Spring Harbor for the loving,
professional care they have provided during the
latter years of his life. In lieu of flowers, the
family asks that memorials be made to Columbus
Hospice.
Published in Columbus Ledger-Enquirer from
January 4 to January 5, 2013
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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