Lovett Fletcher

William Lovett Fletcher, Sr. (Lovett), 94 of Jackson passed away on Friday, March 24, 2017 at Sacred Journey Hospice in McDonough, GA after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's disease.
Mr. Fletcher was born in Jackson, GA, on July 30, 1922 to the late Van McKibben Fletcher and Annie Lou Lovett Fletcher.  He was the youngest of four siblings.  He was a 1939 graduate of Jackson High School.  He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.  While at Georgia Tech, he was a cadet in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) for the United States Armed Forces.
Following graduation, he was commissioned as Second Lieutenant in the United States Army on March 30, 1943 and began his military career at Camp Davis, NC attending Anti-aircraft Artillery and Officer Candidate School.  He went on to complete his officer training at Infantry School in Ft. Benning, GA in June, 1944. He was stationed at Fort Blanding in Jacksonville, FL, where he was a Platoon Leader and Training Officer.  In October, 1944, her was transferred to Camp Howze, Texas where he served as an Officer/Principal Instructor in machine gun and mortar courses.
In February, 1945, Mr. Fletcher was promoted to First Lieutenant and assigned to serve in the Asiatic Pacific Theater of Operations as part of the invasion of Japan.  He subsequently was re-assigned as Utilities Maintenance Officer in charge of Water Purification System for Base K, Leyte, and Philippine islands.  There he supervised and directed the activities of 25 technicians who maintained water purification equipment, purified, and distributed water for drinking, cooking and bathing water to an average of 10,000 personnel. Upon returning to the United States in August, 1946, he transferred from active duty to Army Reserve Force.
in 1950, he was commissioned as First Lieutenant in the Georgia National Guard Force where he served as the Executive Officer for Company A of the 121st Infantry Battalion in Jackson, GA, and Company Commander when the Company was redesignated Company Company C of the 748th Armored Calvary.  He would later serve as Battalion Operations Officer (S-3) for Battalion Headquarters of the 748th Armed Calvary in Griffin, GA.  He went on to become a Major and the S-3 Battalion Commander of the 3rd Brigade in Forsyth, GA.  As S-3 in Forsyth, Mr. Fletcher converted the unit to the 176th Military Police Battalion for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the Governor of the State of Georgia.  He completed his National Guard career as Colonel and the Executive Officer of Emergency Operations for the State of Georgia
Mr. Fletcher was widely known as a community, civic, and religious leader in Butts County. After World War II, he returned to Jackson to run the Fletcher family farm, and directed the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS) of Butts County. He co-owned "Cash and Carry," a building supply company, and later was Butts County Sanitarian. He finished his career as an engineer for the State of Georgia Department of Natural Resources. He was a Deacon and Elder in the Jackson Presbyterian Church and served on the Board of Directors of Presbyterian Homes of Georgia. He served on the Butts County Board of Education for 20 years, The Butts County Georgia Farm Bureau (including as President), and chaired the design committee of the current Butts County Sheriff's Complex. He was a longstanding member of Kiwanis.
In 1949, Mr. Fletcher met his wife of 39 years, the late Catherine Willis Harrington of Eastman, GA. They were married January 7, 1950 and together served Butts County in numerous positions and organizations. They had three boys - Bill, Rick, and Van.
In addition to his parents, Mr. Fletcher is preceded in death by his brother, Dr. Richard Van Fletcher, two sisters, Neva and Amelia and his wife Catherine.
Lovett was adored by his growing family. Survivors include his sons, William Lovett Fletcher, Jr. of Jackson, Richard McGilvery Fletcher (Carol) of Jackson, Van McLeod Fletcher (Lisa) of Peachtree Corners, GA, 8 grandchildren, Katherine Fletcher Johnson (Michael) of Bethlehem, GA, Mary Anne Fletcher of Jackson, William Lovett Fletcher, III (Katherine) of Watkinsville, Amy Melissa Fletcher of Macon, Abby Fletcher Dreher (David) of Columbia, SC, Catherine Hailey Fletcher of Atlanta, Van McLeod Fletcher, Jr. of Peachtree Corners, GA, and Hannah Louise Fletcher of Nashville, TN, and 7 great grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held Friday, March 31, 2017, at 1 p.m. at the Jackson Presbyterian Church. Visitation will be held Thursday, March 30 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Haisten Funeral Home in Jackson. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in his memory to Jackson Presbyterian Church, 240 North Oak Street, Jackson, Georgia 30233.
All funeral arrangements are being handled by Haisten Funeral Home of Jackson.

Funeral Service
Friday, Mar 31, 2017
01:00 PM
Jackson Presbyterian Church
240 North Oak Street
Jackson, GA 30233

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