Fred Deloach, Jr.

Fred DeLoach Jr., 90, of Valdosta passed away on Saturday, March 23, 2019. He was born May 17, 1928 to Fred DeLoach Sr. and Cobbie Pedrick DeLoach in Valdosta. He attended Central Grammar School on East Central Avenue and the Valdosta High School where he played football for the Wildcats. He graduated from Gordon Military School in 1944 and the University of Georgia in 1947 at the age of 19. In college he joined Phi Delta Theta Fraternity and Alpha Zeta Honorary Fraternity. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture. After College he returned to Valdosta where he taught agriculture to veterans at Pine Grove School 1947-1951. He farmed from 1951 to 1975 and in 1958 he started DeLoach Hardware. In 1976 he was elected Chairman of the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners where he served for 16 years. During this time in office, he was elected President of The Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG), Chairman of the Board of the Department of Community Affairs for the State of Georgia, and Member of Governor Joe Frank Harris’s Growth Strategies Commission. Locally he served as a member of: Board of Directors for C & S Bank and Nations Bank, Industrial Authority, President of Kiwanis Club which had over 100 members at the time, Zoning Board, Chamber of Commerce, First Baptist Church where he was a Deacon and Sunday School teacher, the Planning Commission, Tax Assessors Board of Appeals, South Georgia Medical Center Board, Lowndes County Board of Health, and Four-H Club. His other actives included Valdosta County Club, Ocean Pond, Elks Club, Sons of the American Revolution, and Historical Society. In 1999, he was presented the Emil Girardin Outstanding Member award by The Chamber of Commerce. In 2008 the Statenville Highway was dedicated to him as The Fred DeLoach Jr. Highway by Governor Sonny Perdue. He loved his family, friends, church and raising Tennessee Walking Horses.
He is survived by two children Beth DeLoach Meeks, husband Kenny of Valdosta and Fred DeLoach III (Butch), wife Holly of Sandy Springs; one grandchild Emma Jean DeLoach of Sandy Springs; two step grandchildren Kenny and Kyle Meeks; brother-in law and wife Charles and Pauline Farris of Wimberley Texas; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his wife of 57 years Jean and a brother Wallace Deloach.
The family would like to give a great thank you to the Fellowship Home and staff and an additional thank you to Bessie Manning for taking care of the family.
The services for Mr. DeLoach will be held at the Carson McLane Funeral Home on Wednesday, March 27, 2019 at 11 a.m. with Rev. Chuck Owens officiating and eulogy by Mr. H. Arthur McLane. Burial will follow at Sunset Hill Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Tuesday from 5-7 p.m. at the Carson McLane Funeral Home. Flowers will be accepted or a donation in memory may be made to the First Baptist Church or The 4H Club. Condolences to the family may be conveyed on the obituary page at www.mclanecares.com. Carson McLane.