Ralph Edward Powell
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With a heavy heart the family of Ralph Edward Powell of Red Bank, Lexington, South Carolina announces his death on August 11, 2021. Born August 5, 1931 in Huntington, West Virginia, he was 90 years old. He is the son of the late Cecil Pearl and Lola Harmon Powell, both formerly of Hamlin, West Virginia. He proudly served in the United States Marine Corps for twenty-four years, retiring from active duty in 1975 at the rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant (E-9) and was a veteran of the Korean and Vietnam Wars. After retiring from the Marine Corps, he served as a government civil servant with the United States Treasury Department for a short period and then seventeen years with the United States Marine Corps. He retired a second time in 1992 as a GS-14 and continued working for the Marine Corps as a private contractor, ultimately retiring in 1998 with over 46 years of service to the United States Marine Corps.
Ralph was the Program Manager and the driving force to implement the Standard Accounting Budgeting and Recording System (SABRS), which is the accounting budgeting system designed for the United States Marine Corps and the Department of the Navy and is still in operation today.
Ralph is a member of Buckhall United Methodist Church, Manassas, Virginia, member Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 1503, American Legion Post 28 and the Marine Corps League. His favorite hobbies were fishing, hunting, gardening, and working in his yard and flower beds. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Leslie Lee Powell and Bernard Lewis Powell; adopted brother, Steve Allen Powell; his first wife of fourteen years of Ray, Ohio and the mother of his five daughters, Mary Jo Shepard Powell; his second wife of twenty-six years of Poolesville, Maryland, Bettie Ruth Poole Powell; and son-in-law of Front Royal, Virginia, Jerry Evan Collins Sr.
Left to cherish his memory are his daughters, Dianna Lynn (Thomas) Jones, Mary Kaye Powell, Margaret Ann (Lance) Burklund, Brenda Sue Collins, Linda Powell (Darrel) Ealum; son, Don (Carolyn) Baker; brothers, Cecil Joseph, Clyde (Lou), and Roger Dale (Alice); adopted brother, David Michael Powell; sisters, Eva Delores (EC) Baker, Lola Pearl Roister, Mary Frances Peters, and Gloria Jean Osborne; sisters-in-law, Sue Powell, Rachel Poole Porter; brother-in-law, Franklin Poole; grandsons, Jerry Evan (Michelle) Collins Jr., Wayne Arthur Burklund, Marshall Edward (Hannah) Jones, Stephen Michael (Karen) Collins, Mark Allen (Pamela) Collins, James Thomas Ealum III; granddaughters, Christina Lynn (Troy) Rosenlieb, Jennifer Ruth (Russ) Marsh, Tommie Jo Harrington, Lydia Ealum (Matthew) DuPree, Amanda Dawn (David) Jones, Linda Jo Ealum (Lance Marshall), Susie Kalyn (Luke Short) Ealum, Kathryn and Elizabeth Baker; 34 great-grandchildren; a great-great-grandson, and numerous nieces and nephews.
A visitation was held at Caughman-Harman Funeral Home in Lexington, South Carolina on August 15. Visitation and funeral services will be held at Baker-Post Funeral Home, 10001 Nokesville Road, Manassas, Virginia 20110 August 24th visitation from 9am-10am; funeral services from 10am-11:15am. Following services, a full Military Funeral Honors burial will be held at Quantico National Cemetery, 18424 Joplin Road, Triangle, Virginia 22172 August 24th at 1pm. Immediately following interment, a Celebration of Life will be held at American Legion, Post 28, 17934 Liming Lane, Triangle, Virginia 22172.
In lieu of flowers, you may donate to Sgt. Mac Foundation/National Wreath Project, PO Box 936, Grandy, NC 27939.
www.caughmanlexington.com