Our beloved “Trollie” passed away on August 29, 2020, at the age of 81. Coach Ezell, as he was affectionately known by many, was defined by a life of service to others. He was first and foremost a man of God, who served His Lord diligently from a young age and shared that love with everyone around him. As a young boy growing up in Alabama, he enjoyed sports and competition. Petty was a tremendous athlete at Lauderdale County High School in Rogersville, Alabama, where he lettered in football, baseball, and basketball. As a champion basketball player, he averaged 32 points per game. He scored over 1,500 points as a senior alone. He was a member of the All-State team as a senior and played in the All-Star basketball game. During his high school years, he met and dated the love of his life, Miss Patricia “Patti” Bedingfield. While they both attended University of North Alabama for a time, Petty completed his studies at Austin Peay where he was a scholarship athlete, playing three sports. He completed his Master of Science degree in Cell Biology at Austin Peay, studying marine life around the shorelines of the Tennessee River he loved so dearly. He returned to Rogersville, Alabama, after graduation and married Miss Patti on July 19, 1961.
In 1964, Petty began a teaching and coaching position at Georgia Military Academy, known today as Woodward Academy in Atlanta, Georgia. He began a decades long career at Woodward where he taught biology and coached football, baseball, and basketball. He acted as Athletic Director for 26 years until his retirement in 2000. During his 36 years at Woodward Academy, his teams won state championships or were runners-up 31 times. Coach was awarded the National Federation of State High School Associations’ highest award, the NFHS citation for Outstanding Contributions in Interscholastic Athletics in San Diego at the 31st National Conference of High School Directors of Athletics in December of 2000. He was a charter member of the Georgia Athletic Director’s Association (GADA) and was the state liaison to the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA). Nationally, Coach served on the NIAAA credentials committee where he received the NIAAA State Award of Merit in 1991 and was selected as the GADA Athletic Director of the Year in 1990. He was the first editor of the GADA magazine and worked in the planning of the GADA conference for over 20 years. Coach was a member of the executive committee of Georgia High School Association for six years where he was instrumental in public and private school relations.
Additionally, he co-founded the Atlanta Superstar Basketball camps with friends, Jackie Bradford and Bob Reinhardt, which ran summer basketball camps for 10 years in the Atlanta area for kids. He was the leader of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter at Woodward Academy for 10 years, one of the largest chapters in the country. He worked tirelessly to have all of his students reach their goals. A number of his former biology students are now some of the country’s finest physicians and surgeons. Many former athletes enjoyed successful professional sports careers. Coach believed that “attitude is everything”.
He was as a faithful servant and member of the Peachtree City Church of Christ (PCCCOC) in Georgia for 43 years with his wife by his side. He served as an elder for PCCOC for 25 years. In his role at PCCCOC, he was committed to his congregation, mission work, and eldership. During his retirement years, he and Patti, moved to Guntersville, Alabama, where he enjoyed fishing and hunting with his friend Roy Sanderson. They attended Guntersville Church of Christ. Ultimately, he moved back to Rogersville, Alabama, after his dear wife, Patti passed in 2007 where he enjoyed serving his original church home, the Rogersville Church of Christ.
His greatest joys involved fellowship with his church family, his grandchildren (Betsy and Hook), coaching students, fishing and hunting with his lifelong buddies (Roland Ezell, George Mason, Fred Young, Mike Ezell, Ed R. Ingram, Donnie Hendrickson and many others), and traveling with his family.
He was inducted into the Lauderdale County Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.
He had many favorite scriptures including 2 Timothy 4:7; Philippians 4:12; and 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.
One of his favorite quotes suited his professional career aptly…It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat…Theodore Roosevelt
Survived by: his son, Chip Ezell and his wife, Angie; brother, Kerry Ezell and his wife, Linda; sister-in-law, Joan Ezell; and his grandchildren, Betsy and Hook.
Predeceased by: his wife of 45 years, Patricia Bedingfield Ezell; brother, Bobby Ezell; and sister, Shirley Ann.
Private Graveside Service: Westminster Memorial Gardens, Peachtree City, Georgia
Future Services will be held at Woodward Academy and Peachtree City Church of Christ. Details will be provided to these locations in advance. Please reach out in the coming months for details.
Please visit : https://youtu.be/Xv8zIN77JQI for a photo video memorial or you can search by putting Petty Ezell, Sr. in search box on YouTube.
Memorials: In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to Woodward Academy:
Petty Ezell, Sr., Woodward Academy Advancement Office, 1662 Rugby Avenue, College Park, GA 30337,
404-765-4030.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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