Lt. Col. Johnny Franklin McDaniel (Ret)

Lt. Col. Johnny Franklin McDaniel (retired), July 29th, 1936 – July 22nd, 2015. Johnny McDaniel, lovingly known by his family as “Pop,” passed away July 22nd, 2015 in Germantown, TN, just shy of his 79th birthday. Johnny was born July 29th, 1936 in Griffithville, AR, as one of nine siblings. After graduation from the University of Arkansas, he served 28 distinguished years as a pilot in the United States Air Force, having flown over 13,000 hours at the time of his retirement. He lived with wife Rita in Cordova, TN since 1994. During his career, he served in Vietnam, and was also stationed in Arizona, California, Alabama, Illinois, and South Carolina. After his military retirement, he and his wife moved to Tennessee in order that he could work as a defense contractor, C-141 simulator instructor. He spent his fully-retired years in Cordova, vegetable gardening, listening to country music, investing in stocks, and spending quality time with his wife, family, and friends. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Rita, sons Les and his wife Beth, John and his wife Carrie, Vernon and his wife Melissa, and Kevin; grandchildren, Dacia, Marissa, Ashley, Alexandria, Kelli, August, Christie, Lauren, and Ryan, and great-grandchildren, Amelia and Avior. Johnny is further survived by sister, Hilton Dugger, and brother Jim Thurmond and his wife Susan. The family will receive friends from 12:00 p.m. until service time at 2:00 p.m., Monday, July 27, 2015 at Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens, 3700 N. Germantown Road, Bartlett, TN. Flowers are sincerely appreciated, but not necessary. If you would like to honor Johnny's life as a member of the military, a donation to the Wounded Warrior Project would be greatly appreciated. Online condolences may be offered at www.memphisfuneralhome.net