Mr. Donald Boatright

July 11, 1924 - January 6, 2017

Donald Earl Boatright, World War II Army Paratrooper, passed away quietly on Friday, January 6, 2017. He was 92. Born in Carroll County to Early Benjamin Boatright and Mary Alice Williams Boatright, Donald grew up in the Wayside and Horsley Mill communities. During World War II, he was a Paratrooper with Company G, 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team, and was wounded during combat in Southern France in September of 1944. He also saw combat in Italy and during the Battle of the Bulge. He was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor, Purple Heart, Army Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal with Arrowhead Device, European Campaign Medal with 5 stars, World War II Victory Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, French Croix de Guerre, Belgian Croix de Guerre, Combat Infantry Badge, US Army Airborne Wings with Gold Star, and Honorably Discharged in 1945. On July 30, 1946 Donald married Mildred Yates Boatright. They lived their lives in the Burwell Community raising two children, Jimmy and Malinda. After working at the Anniston Ordinance Depot, he joined Yates Furniture, and later retiring as a Carroll County Corrections officer. Donald was a devout believer in God and a Deacon of Cross Plains Baptist Church. Donald’s reputation was for his love of Mildred, his children, his friends, and most importantly, his grand and great-grandchildren. He was the person everyone called upon to pray, tell a funny story or colorful jokes. He was a simple man who lived life to the fullest. Donald is predeceased by: his wife of 65 years, Mildred Yates Boatright; his daughter, Malinda Boatright Camp; his eldest brother, Homer Boatright; his eldest sister, Clovis Boatright Williams; sister, Mary Nell Boatright Wilson; brother, Darrell Boatright; sister, Dorothy Boatright Muse; and, sister, Sara Helen Boatright Dukes. He is survived by: his brother, Bobby Boatright (Betty); as well as his loving son, Jimmy Dean Boatright (Joan); 4 grandchildren: Kimberly Boatright Abbott (Les), Andrew Donald Boatright, Corbin Heflin Graves Camp (Jenny) and Lauren Elizabeth Camp White (Chance); and, twelve great grandchildren: Audrey Abbott; Gage, Cassie and Colin Camp; Reeve, Avery, Elizabeth, Riddick, Rommel, Reinhart, Charlotte and Harper White. The family will receive friends and relatives at the Rainwater Funeral Home in Bowdon on Tuesday, January 10, 2017 from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm. He will lie in state starting at 2:00 PM with funeral services at 3:00 PM on Wednesday, January 11th, at Cross Plains Baptist Church, 1409 Cross Plains Road, Carrollton, GA 30116 with Rev. Ralph Ploof and Ralph Williams officiating. Interment will follow in the Cross Plains Church Cemetery with full military honors. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Cross Plains Baptist Church (Cemetery Fund) c/o Glenn Hill, 2060 Horsley Mill Road, Carrollton, GA 30116.