Larry Permenter Obituary

Col. Larry Montrose Permenter, U.S. Army, Ret. MULLINS, SC - Colonel (Ret.) Larry Montrose Permenter, 81, died Saturday, March 8, 2014 at Heritage Nursing Home in Florence after an illness. Colonel Permenter was born August 16, 1932 in Mullins, a son of the late Jennings Leon Permenter and the late Thelma O'Neal Permenter. He was a graduate of Mullins High School and attended The Citadel and Appalachian State. He was a member of Mullins First Baptist Church. Col. Permenter, a graduate of the Palmetto Military Academy and The Command and General Staff College at Ft. Levinworth, Kansas, served in the South Carolina Army National Guard for 39 years. He served in various staff positions and command of the 1st Battalion 263rd Armor, was the National Guard Liaison Officer at Ft. Hood, Texas, Operations and Training Officer for the Headquarters Troop Command of the South Carolina Army National Guard, Commander of the 251st Rear Area Operations Center (RAOC), Deputy Commander of Headquarters Troop Command and Director of Maintenance of Headquarters STARC-SC. He retired from the National Guard in 1988 at the rank of Colonel, with the promotion to Brigadier General. Colonel Permenter's military awards and citations include: Legion of Merit, United States Meritorious Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, United States Army Commendation Medal, United States Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 2 Hourglasses, Army Service Ribbon, Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon, South Carolina Meritorious Service Medal, South Carolina Active State Service Medal and South Carolina Governor's Unit Citation. Col. Permenter was predeceased by his wife of 56 years, who was also his high school sweetheart, Lois Brown Permenter. Surviving are: 2 sons: L. Michael (Faye) Permenter of Atlanta, GA, and Donnie (Alexis) Permenter of Mullins; 4 grandchildren: Allison Formby and Matthew Permenter, both of Atlanta, GA, and Sarah (Joshua) Hays and Chris (Brooke) Permenter, both of Mt. Pleasant; 4 great-grandchildren: Samantha Formby, Caleb Hays, Mason Hays, and Tyson Permenter; a brother: Wallace (Bertie) Permenter of Florence; and several nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Wednesday, March 12, 2014, at the Chapel of Cox-Collins Funeral Home, with Army Chaplain, Major Donald R. Hayes, officiating. Burial, with full military honors, will follow in Cedardale Cemetery. Visitation will be held Tuesday evening from 6:00 until 8:00 P.M. at Cox-Collins Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to the South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics, 401 Railroad Ave., Hartsville, SC 29550 or to the Wounded Warrior Project, 4200 Morganton Rd., Suite 300, Fayetteville, NC 28314. Visit our guestbook at www.legacy.com/obituaries/ charleston