Obituary of James Eargle

Funeral service celebrating the life of James Marion Eargle, 87, of Columbia who passed away on Monday, December 31, 2012 will be held at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, January 6, 2013 at Greenlawn Funeral Home, 845 Leesburg Road Columbia SC 29209; officiated by Reverend Tom Newboult. Visitation will be held from 1pm until the hour of service at the funeral home. Interment will follow in Greenlawn Memorial Park with full military honors. Mr. Eargle was born on January 19, 1925 to the late James Wilmer Eargle and Estelle Friday Eargle. He was the fourth of their seven children. He grew up in Columbia, SC and worked as a ship fitter prior to joining the US Army in July 1943. During the Second World War, he served in Rome, Northern France and the Rhineland; he was awarded the EAMET Campaign medal with three bronze service stars, the Purple Heart, and the Infantry Victory Medal. He was honorably discharged from the Army in 1946 and subsequently re-enlisted in 1950. During an assignment to Trieste, Italy he met the love of his life, Anna Concetta Cozzolino; they married September 30, 1951. He served during the Korean War and had two tours of duty in Vietnam. He was also stationed twice in Germany. He had a total of 26 years of devoted service to our nation. After retiring from the Army in 1973 he worked at the Sam Solomon Store in Columbia, SC for 9 years from 1973-1982. He is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Anna; his 2 children, Estelle Silvia Eargle who was born on May 21, 1953 and her husband, Michael of Nashville, TN and James Joseph ?Joey? Eargle of Columbia, SC who was born on June 22, 1955; 5 grandchildren, Patrick Way and his wife Jenny, Silvia Smith and her husband Nick, Stephen May and his wife Dorothy, Brian and Mark May; 4 great-grandchildren, Isaac, Samuel and Nathan Smith and Felix Way; sisters, Helen Johnson and her husband Roy of Grand Prairie, TX and Edith Griffin of Columbia, SC; and a number of nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his siblings, Ruth, Hazel, Mildred and Warren. He was the most loving and supportive husband, father, granddad and great-granddad. He will be sorely missed. He always ended visits by saying?Bye for now? and ?Give my love to all?. We will continue to give him our love and also to Anna.