VALDOSTA — William Burns Sirmans passed away Sunday, leaving a community mourning the passing of a patriot.
An avid supporter of Moody Air Force Base, Sirmans was integral in the Moody Support Group, hosting dinners and arranging for items to be donated to assist deploying airmen. A lifelong resident of Ray City, Sirmans grew up around the military base and could quote statistics and events from the base’s history as easily as the base historian could.
An article in The Valdosta Daily Times on Oct. 28, 2007, states that Sirmans’ father worked on the base from the time he was born in 1943. Following his mother’s early death, Burns Sirmans brought young William to the base often while he was on the job. He was raised on the base and got a job there as soon as he could as a dispatcher and driver in the Transportation Division.
According to the article, Sirmans started the Moody support group in Ray City in 1976, and he recalled seeing a host of presidents come through the base, including George W. Bush during his pilot training days.
Sirmans also worked for many years at the Department of Labor, and Richard Ramsey, the manager of the Career Center in Valdosta, said, “William was first and foremost a compassionate man who believed in taking steps to alleviate someone's problem in any method open to him. He was quick to look for possible solutions and would often go the extra mile to secure items for Moody troops overseas or wherever he felt he could be of service. William loved Moody AFB and Valdosta with a deep and abiding passion. He will be missed in a great many ways by those who knew him and some who never realized he was involved in the helping hand being extended. William wanted to serve and usually found a way to do so. I will miss his greeting every morning — ‘Anything I need to know about?’ I will miss him...”
In the Times article, Sirmans is quoted as saying, “This community never would have made it without Moody. Moody is the lifeblood of South Georgia, the economic fulcrum of what happens here. We have great leaders from Moody who have retired here and have become part of community leadership... Moody has become our friends and they care about our community. The base is known throughout the world as having the friendliest local community behind it in support. And they have given so much back to us. Moody is us.”
A worship service is planned for 2 p.m. Thursday at Park Avenue United Methodist Church in Valdosta, with burial following in Ray City. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday in the sanctuary at Park Avenue United Methodist Church.
Local News
Related Photos
-
William Sirmans in Valdosta? Georgia Department of Labor building in October of 2007.
Discussion
Moody supporter Sirmans dies
- Local News
-
-
Weekend preview with Brittany McClure
Find out what's going on this weekend with Brittany McClure.
-
Popular vendor taken out of the ballparks
With a wagon-load of fresh cakes, hot boiled peanuts and ice-cold bottled water she has witnessed generations of children, or as she refers to them, her angels, grow into adults with children of their own.
-
Three candidates file for election
Qualifications for Lowndes County general primaries continue with the addition of a couple new candidates interested in running for elected office.
-
City, county tax discussions stalled
Local Option Sales Tax “negotiations” between city and county officials have descended from open meetings to a stalemate, with no clear agreement on how the estimated $210 million in tax revenue should be split.
-
Valdosta High principal to retire
After one year as Valdosta High School principal, Rufus McDuffie has announced his retirement.
-
South Georgia’s Ace
High above war-torn Germany, World War II fighter ace Donald S. “Bush” Bryan led his flight toward an estimated 50 enemy aircraft.
-
Arraignment set for Quitman 11
The “Quitman Eleven” are scheduled to have an arraignment on May 29, Brooks County Courthouse, according to their attorney, Roy Copeland.
-
Qualifying opens
Qualifications for Lowndes County general primaries kicked off Wednesday and plenty of folks tossed their proverbial hats in the ring on opening day.
-
Fire on Ridgeway Drive
No injuries were reported after a fire broke out Tuesday morning at an 800 block Ridgeway Drive house.
-
Lowndes High grad part of ABC’s ‘Duets’
VALDOSTA — A Lowndes High School graduate is expected to be a part of the debut episode of the new ABC talent-search show “Duets” premiering this week. - More Local News Headlines
-
