Gene Sidwell's obituary, copied from AJC
 
click here for Gene Sidwell's obituary on Legacy.com

Family-Placed Death Notice

SIDWELL, LOWELL GENE
Lowell Gene Sidwell, Colonel United States Air Force (retired) of Smyrna, Georgia, died February 26, 2012. He was born in Clarinda, Iowa, March 7, 1918 the son of John S. Sidwell and Rebecca Frances (Winter) Sidwell. He was preceded in death by his wife of 66 years, Laura Lee (Lane) Sidwell, formerly of Tampa, Florida. He is survived by his children, Barry (and wife Susan Solomon) of Boulder, Colorado; Michael (and wife Debbie) of Bear, Delaware; Greg (and wife Brigitte) of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina; and Susan (Sidwell) Rabin (and husband David Rabin) of Dunwoody, Georgia and seven grandchildren (Casey, Lisa, David, Sam, Melissa, Daniel and Gene).

Following the death of his parents he moved to Nebraska and graduated from Halsey Nebraska high school in 1935. He became a graduate of the University of Iowa and George Washington University. He served on active duty with the US Cavalry (Horse), Infantry and US Air Force. During World War II he flew 49 missions as a pilot of the B-26 Bombardment airplane. His awards included the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with eight clusters, French Croix de Guerre and other campaign ribbons. In January, 2011, he was awarded the Legion of Honor, Chevalier Class, by the President of France. He was granted a Regular commission in the Air Force and served three years in Strategic Air Command (SAC) headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska; attended the Air War College and was stationed three years in HQ USAF in the Pentagon. He also flew the B-25, KC-97 and B-29s as well as other aircraft during his USAF career. For several years he was a partner in the operation of a cattle ranch in Nebraska and later worked for Lockheed Aircraft in the training department and in configuration management for the C-5 airplane. He became a Certified Financial Planner and served as treasurer for the Friends of the National Archives, Cobb County Genealogical Society and Northwest Unitarian Church. He was a director of the Georgia Genealogical Society and member of the Georgia Genealogical Computing Society and Smyrna Golden K Kiwanis Club of Smyrna, Georgia.

A memorial service will be held at Dunwoody United Methodist Church, 1548 Mount Vernon Road, Dunwoody, Thursday 1st of March at 2:00 p.m. and his ashes scattered in the Nebraska National Forest. Donations to Smyrna Golden K Kiwanis Club in lieu of flowers. Medford-Peden Funeral Home.


Published in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on February 29, 2012