Col Abney Obituary

Col (R) James "JC" Abney
San Antonio, TX - Colonel (R) James Conrod Abney affectionally known as "JC" was born on March 5th 1957 in Greenwood, South Carolina to the late Sam M. Abney and the late Annie Littlejohn Abney. JC was the youngest of four children born to this union.
JC unexpectedly passed to his eternal peace at the Methodist Hospital in San Antonio, Texas on Tuesday March 1st short of celebrating his 65th birthday. Funeral services will be held 11am Friday at the Second Baptist Church (Viewing 10-11 am) with Rev. Dr. Douglas A. Slaughter, Pastor. Burial will follow at South Lawn Cemetery. His beloved siblings Samuel O. Abney (brother), Kanadier (Kandi) and Shirley, sisters proceeded him in death.
JC was educated in the Aiken public school system having graduated in 1975 from Aiken High school where he excelled in many areas of academics and sports. He continued with his aspirations to attend Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina where he proudly achieved his Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and Government in 1980. Upon graduating from Furman, he was commissioned by the Furman ROTC program that led to a rewarding career in the United States Army. In 1997, JC married his childhood sweetheart and best friend Ava Maria Coleman and to this union a daughter was born Camryn Maria Abney. In addition to this union, he gained a stepdaughter Jade Avalon Coleman Walker.
JC began his distinctive 41-year Army service in 1981 as Second Lieutenant Military Police (MP) officer. He deployed to Haiti in 1995 as a Battalion Executive Officer in support of Operation Uphold Democracy. JC held many more noteworthy military leadership positions, including MP Battalion Commander and Provost Marshall at Fort Carson, CO; Garrison Commander, Fort Leonard Wood, MO; and Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command. He retired from military service on 01 October 2008 at the rank of Colonel. Recognizing his outstanding leadership skills, the Army appointed him into the Senior Executive Service (civilian general officer equivalent) in 2010 where he served as Deputy to the Commander, U.S. Army Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command.
Shortly after JC's assumption of this position, the Army civilianized the Commander position appointing JC the Army's first Director of this organization providing oversight of the Army's $2.4B Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation enterprise. At the end of 2013, JC assumed the position of Deputy Director of the Army's Training and Leadership Development where he was responsible for policy development and resourcing of the Army's multi-billion dollar training programs. His last six and a half years of service were spent with the Army's Installation Management Command (IMCOM) where he was hand selected to serve in the most challenging jobs supporting Soldier Readiness and Quality of Life programs. His last assignment was Executive Officer and Advisor the IMCOM Executive Deputy to the Commanding General.
Throughout his Army career, JC attended numerous prestigious educational institutions including the FBI National Academy, National Defense University, Secretary of Defense Senior Executive Leadership Program, Harvard Kennedy School of Executive Training, and University of Virginia Darden School of Business.Friends may visit JACKSON-BROOKS FUNERAL HOME, 126 Fairfield St. SE, Aiken, SC 29801, 803-649-6123 Today from 4-8 PM.