Cecil Mcinnis

Mr. Cecil V. McInnis

Services for Mr. Cecil V. McInnis will be held on Tuesday, December 21, 2010 at 10 a.m. at James F. Webb Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will be at Coker Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery in Vimville. James F. Webb Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. McInnis, born April 23, 1922, passed gently and with dignity into Gods keeping on December 12, 2010. He was surrounded by his beloved family and dog in his home in Maitland, Florida. Mr. McInnis was from the family of nine children of Joshua McLemore and Ella Ruth Butler McInnis of Vimville, Mississippi. The McInnis were one of the five founding families of Lauderdale county Mississippi.

His education was as a civil engineer from Mississippi State. He served honorably on the U.S. General J. C. Breckinridge in the Coast Guard during WWII. He sustained injuries requiring extensive recuperation in the Naval Hospital in New York City. Following his recovery he joined the Coast and Geodetic Survey, the pioneer federal agency in Alaska, where he lived for two years in the wilds of the interior surveying and mapping for the major highways that are still in use today. His next assignment was the surveying, mapping and road construction through Death Valley, Nevada at the time the of atomic bomb testing. He later was employed with the Federal Aviation Administration and surveyed the Florida Everglades for air traffic control installations, redesigned the International Airports and air traffic control infrastructures in Miami, Florida and San Juan, Puerto Rico. He became the lead trouble shooter for the FAA and worked in every state except for Hawaii during his career. He was promoted to section chief for the South East region of the U.S. and Caribbean. While working in the Caribbean, he was cooperated with the federal agencies in monitoring the activities of the Soviets during the period of the Cold War. After 35 years with the federal government, he retired and worked another ten years with the Jacksonville, Florida Port Authority.

Mr. McInnis was a Master Mason at St. John the Baptist Lodge 12, San Juan Puerto Rico and also a 32cnd Degree Mason of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Free Masonry.

He was tender and compassionate with children and animals, found humor in most things and relentlessly teased folks he liked. If a job was worth doing it was worth doing right, he never cut a corner. He saw beauty in his wife, wellconstructed buildings, well drained roads, and perfectly painted walls. Growing the hottest peppers and feeding wild birds were favorite past times. He could be spotted in a crowd by the white Stetson hat.

In 2006, he was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 55 years, Nelwyn Francis Wells McInnis, of Longview, Texas. He is survived by his daughter, Dr. Cecilia V. McInnisBowers, her husband, Dr. Michael R. Bowers, grandsons Andrew Jordan McInnis Bowers, and Joshua Michael McInnis Bowers and spouse Denise Parris, and personal assistant Pauline Moore of Florida step daughter Betty Minor and granddaughter Lisa Gayle Minor and Dana Marie Minor Hill of California.
Visitation will be Monday, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to the Asbury United Methodist Church Elderly Outreach, 220 West Horatio Ave, Maitland, FL 32751.

Family and friends may view this obituary, sign the guest book or send condolences online at jamesfwebb.com

Visitation

James F. Webb Funeral Home
2514 7th Street
Meridian, MS  39301
Monday, December 20, 2010
6 8 p.m.

Service

Chapel

James F. Webb Funeral Home
2514 7th Street
Meridian, MS  39301
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
10:00 a.m.

Cemetery

Coker Chapel Methodist Church Cem.
Hwy 19 South
Meridian, MS  39301

Memorial Contributions

220 West Horatio Avenue
Maitland, FL  32751