Robert "Dewitt" Dalton III

Dewitt owned and operated L. Dalton, Inc. for forty years. He was born on October 28, 1942, to R.D. and Lela Dalton in Brownsville, Tennessee. Dewitt was raised in Jackson, Tennessee, and graduated from North Side High School. He attended Union University, and upon graduating, he joined the United States Air Force in 1966. In August of the same year, Dewitt married his sweetheart Sharon Elizabeth Fesmire. Stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base, Dewitt and Sharon lived in Panama City and later Port St. Joe, Florida. After his honorable discharge, Dewitt worked at the local paper mill and served as the Minister of Music at First Baptist Church in Port St. Joe. Dewitt developed lifelong friendships while there and became an avid fisherman. Dewitt and Sharon returned to Jackson, Tennessee, to start a family in 1970.

To say that Dewitt was multi-faceted would be an understatement. He drag raced corvettes, hunted and collected thousands of arrowheads, was a Golden Gloves Boxer, and read just about every book written. Dewitt fell in love with flying at the age of twenty-one and obtained his pilot’s license before joining the Air Force. His love for flying never ended. He became heavily involved in recreationally flying large remote control planes, and he was a founding member of the Magic Valley Air Force. He loved to share his enthusiasm for flying by teaching anyone who wanted to learn.

Dewitt was a devout and devoted Christian, and he led the singing for years at many churches. God blessed him with a beautiful and energetic voice. He served as the choir director to countless adult, youth, and children’s choirs, but introducing people to Christ made Dewitt happier than anything.

Dewitt is survived by a daughter, Amy Dalton, and two sons, Ashley Dalton (Heather) and Timothy Dalton (Hillary); five grandchildren, Will Buckley, Ty Buckley, Blaine Verdung, Addelyn Dalton and Emmett Dalton, all of Jackson. He is also survived by a sister, Pat Wells (Ronald) and two nephews of Jackson. Dewitt was preceded in death by his parents.

The family held a private service on Sunday, April 12, 2020. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be sent to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P. O. Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, Tennessee 38148 or visit http://www.stjude.org.