Extracted from The Dallas Morning News (Dallas, TX)
Doyle Kidd Gantt
GANTT, DOYLE KIDD, A World War II veteran and retired engineer, died Monday, August 29 in Ruston, Louisiana. He was 83.
Doyle Kidd Gantt was born December 3. 1921 to Warren Mason and Florence Eliza flays Gantt in Arcadia, Louisiana. He graduated from Arcadia High School. In 1942 he joined the Army Air Corps, serving as a waist gunner on a B-26 in the European theatre. He flew 52 missions, surviving two crashes, one in England, another in France. After the war he entered Louisiana Tech University on the G.I. Bill and earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. He went on to an engineering career that included IBM in New York, Texas Instruments in Dallas and the defense electronics firm E-Systems in Dallas and Greenville, Texas. His last assignment with E-Systems was as director of the Sinai Field Mission in the Sinai Desert where the company monitored the staged Israeli withdrawal from Egyptian territory.
He retired in 1982 and returned to Arcadia where he married Helen Prestidge on December 29, 1988. In Arcadia he played harmonica in a musical band which performed for civic and charitable events. He put to use his engineering skills and his keen sense of humor as a pro bono community handyman, repairing neighbors' appliances and homes and building amusing and inventive motorized rides and toys for his and Helen's grandchildren. One of his favorite activities was a long-running, weekly nickel-ante poker game amongst old friends. Using some family recipes and creating others, he developed a candy company whose products were favorites of friends and customers in the region, especially ``Doylenes.'' He was a member of Arcadia Chamber of Commerce.
He is survived by his wife, Helen Gantt of Arcadia; a daughter, Carol Gantt and son-in-law Henry Wells of Dallas; a son, Brian Gantt of Austin; a stepson and wife, Bo and Laurie Towns of Signal Mountain Tennessee and eight grandchildren: Katherine, Lucy and Sam Wells; Tanner, Reid, Ellie and Josie Towns; and Grace O'Brien. He is also survived by a sister, Mrs. Naftel Swygart and a brother-in-law, Gordon Dance, both of Arcadia.
He was preceded in death by two brothers, James Mason and Bentley Gantt and two sisters. Florrie Dance and Marie Polancic.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday, August 31 at 10 a.m. at Rose Neath Funeral Chapel in Arcadia. Visitation will be Tuesday, August 30 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Pallbearers win [sic will] be Dion Gantt, Gary Gantt, Bill Swygart, John Fontenot, David Hicks, Frank Hill. Honorary pallbearers will be Gordie Dance, Clint Brewer, Guye Corley, J.M. Lamkin, Jr., Harold Talbert, Bill Eaton, Jim Clinton, Dick Duddy, and James Adams.
The family requests memorials be made to American Cancer Society 1599 Clifton Rd. Atlanta, Ga. 30329, American Diabetes Association P.O. Box 2680 North Canton OH. 44720, American Heart Association 7272 Greenville Ave. Dallas, TX. 75231, or Camp Vasper Point 554 McCallie Ave. Chattanooga, TN 37402.
ROSE-NEATH FUNERAL HOME 1680 1st. St. Arcadia, LA 71001 318-263-2094
Wednesday, August 31, 2005