Leon A. Lovett
Obituary
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Leon Alf Lovett was born 23 August 1938 and was the only child of Ralph Abbit Lovett and Rebecca Overstreet Lovett. Leon’s early childhood coincided with WW2 and with his father in the Pacific in US Naval service, Leon grew up hunting, fishing, and having other great adventures with men of the next older generation. These WW1 veterans from Wrightsville and Johnson County included “Stump” Prescot and “Oat” Jenkins. Their many stories from the WW1 Era undoubtably fascinated him. As a child, he excelled in Boy Scouts, led by Cliff Moye. Leon achieved Eagle Scout and the highest award for Explorers, the Silver Award. Before Air Scouts ceased to exist, he also began climbing these ranks. The next adventure was Georgia Military College, which he started attending in High School. He loved this place and even joined the Georgia Army National Guard to help pay for another year there when his Father wanted him back home. Leon continued to serve in the Active Component US Army as an Infantry Lieutenant in First Infantry Division and later with the Eleventh Air Assault. With the Eleventh, he was part of the young military officers that developed modern air assault tactics. His father’s health began to fail in the early 1960s so he returned to Wrightsville, the Bank of Wrightsville, and the Georgia Army National Guard. He took on the challenge and started Lovett’s Laundry, Lovett Rentals, and Lovett Manufacturing, building cargo shipment boxes. In this same time period, he was named the youngest bank director in the state. While out in his “57 Hillman Minx car, he met Rebecca Payne in Milledgeville and they married in 1964. Their two children Ralph and Lara were born several years later in 1968 and 1971 respectively. There were ups and downs. Leon’s father died and with this event the family lost ownership of Lovett and East Oil Company. In an industrial accident, Leon lost much of his right hand. Eventually, Lovett Manufacturing went out of business largely due to industry changing material for cargo shipment away from wood crates. Leon worked for a short time with Georgia Power but quickly found an opportunity to buy in to Lovett and Company as a partner to William Herschel Lovett. Shortly after W.H. Lovett’s death in 1978, Leon took full ownership in the company and renamed it Lovett and Brinson after some of his favorite cousins. This company thrived for many decades and employed many memorable people to Leon. These include William May, Hubert Blankenship, Ulysses Taylor, Larry Taylor, “Lint”, Hue Mayo, Francis Sammons, Sheron Parker, Ken Tanner, Bonnie Tanner, Veal Mormon, and many others. Leon served along with Huebert Blankenship as the Assistant Scout Masters of Troop 61 under Cliff Moye as the Scout Master throughout the 1970s and 80s. Many young men learned first aid, outdoor camping skills, map reading, civics, and many other subjects under Leon’s leadership. Due to Leon’s health issues, Lovett and Brinson closed in the mid-1990s. Then Leon rebounded, and he went to work for two volunteer organizations, Boy Scouts at the Central of Georgia Council and the Georgia State Defense Force, which helps provide disaster response for the GA State Government. One significant change came when Leon was made the Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Wrightsville. This activity took much his time and effort in later years. When he was confident that the bank was profitable and all was well, Leon happily voted for Herschel Lovett to take this position. As his health again declined, and Leon settled into a routine of watching wildlife in the backyard, enjoying family pets, collecting Boy Scout patches, looking over the family’s military collection, and spending time with his family.
He is survived by his Wife, Rebecca Payne Lovett. Their two children, Ralph Harley Lovett (Denise), and Lara Lovett Wakely (Steven). His four grandchildren, Kohan Lovett, Kohler Lovett, Ryan Wakely, and Caroline Lovett Wakely.
Leon Lovett was a member of: (Boy Scouts of America) Eagle, Silver Award, Silver Beaver (Order of the Arrow) Brotherhood (US Field Artillery Association) Ancient Order of Saint Barbara, and American Legion
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Above: Leon with his dog, Ike. Leon and Ike stayed in trouble
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Above: Leon in a child's uniform in the WW2 Era
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Above: Leon in Wrightsville's Troop 61 as a young man
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Above: Leon with Becky, Ralph and Lara in the 1970s