James Richard Askew Sr., 87, a resident of Picayune, passed away on Friday, September 30, 2011. Mr. Askew was born in Elizabeth City, N.C. to Henry James Askew and Elizabeth Jones Askew on May 8, 1924.
He served in the U.S. Coast Guard in World War II in the North Atlantic and Pacific. He was a retired engineer who was employed by the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and the Department of Commerce (NOAA) National Data Buoy Center at the NASA Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.
Mr. Askew was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Picayune. He was preceded in death by: his wife, Myrtle Cartwright Askew; granddaughter, Holly Ann Crook; and his two sisters, Helen Agar and Margaret Toler of Elizabeth City.
He is survived by: one daughter, Yvonne Crook and her husband Scott Crook and grandson, Chance Crook of Carriere; sons, Jeffrey Alvin Askew of Picayune, and James Richard Askew Jr. of Dallas, Texas; three granddaughters, Emily Slaughter of Dallas, Caroline de Besombes of Paris, France and Alison Lorraine Askew of Dallas; and great-grandsons, Collin McKinney Slaughter and Henri Joseph de Besombes.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 1 p.m. in the McDonald Funeral Home Chapel. Visitation will be held Tuesday, October 4, 2011 from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. in the McDonald Funeral Home. Burial will be in the New Palestine Cemetery.
Obituary, register book and driving directions can be found on the internet web site, www.mcdonaldfh.com.
McDonald Funeral Home, Picayune is in charge of the arrangements.