Ralph E. Powell

With a heavy heart the family of Ralph Edward Powell of Red Bank, Lexington, South Carolina announces his death on August 11th, 2021. Born August 5th, 1931 in Huntington, West Virginia, he was 90 years old. He is the son of the late Cecil Pearl and Lola Harmon Powell, both formerly of Hamlin, West Virginia.

He proudly served in the United States Marine Corps for twenty-four years, retiring from active duty in 1975 at the rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant (E 9) and was a veteran of the Korean and Vietnam Wars. After retiring from the Marine Corps, he served as a government civil servant with the United States Treasury Department for a short period and then seventeen years with the United States Marine Corps.

He retired a second time in 1992 as a GS-14 and continued working for the Marine Corps as a private contractor, ultimately retiring in 1998 with over 46 years of service to the United States Marine Corps.

Ralph was the Program Manager and the driving force to implement the Standard Accounting Budgeting and Recording System (SABRS), which is the accounting budgeting system designed for the United States Marine Corps and the Department of the Navy and is still in operation today.

Ralph is a member of Buckhall United Methodist Church, Manassas, Virginia, member Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 1503, American Legion Post 28 and the Marine Corps League. His favorite hobbies were fishing, hunting, gardening, and working in his yard and flower beds.

He was proceeded in death by his parents; brothers Leslie Lee Powell and Bernard Lewis Powell; adopted brother Steve Allen Powell; his first wife of fourteen years of Ray, Ohio and the mother of his five daughters Mary Jo Shepard Powell; his second wife of twenty-six years of Poolesville, Maryland Bettie Ruth Poole Powell; and son-in-law of Front Royal, Virginia Jerry Evan Collins Sr.

Left to cherish his memory are his daughters Dianna Lynn (Thomas) Jones, Mary Kaye Powell, Margaret Ann (Lance) Burklund, Brenda Sue Collins, Linda Powell (Darrel) Ealum; son Don (Carolyn) Baker; brothers Cecil Joseph, Clyde ( Lou), and Roger Dale ( Alice), adopted brother David Michael Powell; sisters Eva Delores (EC) Baker, Lola Pearl Roister, Mary Frances Peters, and Gloria Jean Osborne; sister-in laws Sue Powell, Rachel Poole Porter, brother in-law Franklin Poole; grandsons Jerry Evan (Michelle) Collins Jr, Wayne Arthur Burklund, Marshall Edward (Hannah) Jones, Stephen Michael (Karen) Collins, Mark Allen (Pamela) Collins, James Thomas Ealum III; granddaughters Christina Lynn (Troy) Rosenlieb, Jennifer Ruth (Russ) Marsh, Tommie Jo Harrington, Lydia Ealum (Matthew) DuPree, Amanda Dawn (David) Jones, Linda Jo Ealum (Lance Marshall), Susie Kalyn (Luke Short) Ealum, Kathryn and Elizabeth Baker; 34 great-grandchildren; a great-great grandson, and numerous nieces and nephews.

A visitation was held at Caughman-Harman Funeral Home in Lexington, South Carolina on August 15th.

Visitation and funeral services will be held at Baker-Post Funeral Home

10001 Nokesville Road

Manassas, Virginia 20110

August 24th visitation from 9am-10am; funeral services from 10am-11:15am

Following services, a full Military Funeral Honors burial will be held at Quantico National Cemetery

18424 Joplin Road

Triangle, Virginia 22172

August 24th at 1pm

Immediately following interment, a Celebration of Life will be held at American Legion, Post 28

17934 Liming Lane

Triangle, Virginia, 22172

In lieu of flowers you may donate to Sgt. Mac Foundation/National Wreath Project PO Box 936

Grandy, NC 27939