"Wade Ratliff McKann was born on September 19, 1980, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and grew up among the woods along the beaches of his Comite River home with his brother, Matthew. He enjoyed many outdoor voyages and travels with his family, even hiking the Grand Canyon rim to rim at age ten. Wade excelled at soccer and helped win many games for his premier league and high school teams, earning a college scholarship to Virginia Military Institute, where he was a cadet and where he joined the Army National Guard. He chose to become a forward observer and was deployed in 2005 with the Louisiana Washington Artillery Battalion (the 141) to Iraq, where he fought in multiple frontline combat missions. During the war, he was promoted to Staff Sergeant. Coming home disabled with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), he never lost his big and tender heart and his love of country, dying on December 28, 2016. He leaves behind two children, Madison and Michael; his parents Michael and Sallie Delle Mize McKann; his brother Matthew, and half-siblings Jonathan and Patrick McKann and Susannah McKann Stoltz; his grandmother, Minnie Ratliff Mize; uncle James Alexander Mize and aunt Joan McKann Denning. He was preceded in death by his grandparents Milton McKann, Jr., Rachel Meetze McKann and James W. Mize. A military service was held at Louisiana National Cemetery on January 4, 2017; honorary pallbearers were Matthew McKann, Jarred Guidry, Travis McQuiston, Rusty Moore, Christopher Piper, Kyle Rivette, and Terrence Smith, but Wade's spirit will live on with all of his friends and family. Memorial donations may be made to the Disabled American Veterans through their website's Memorial/Honorary Gift portal. Rabenhorst Funeral Home Downtown is in charge of the arrangements.
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