Herbert Lee Stoddard, Jr.

A memorial service and celebration of life for Herbert Lee Stoddard, Jr. of Thomasville will be held a 2:00PM on Saturday, August 21, 2004 at Allen & Allen Funeral Chapel. Mr. Stoddard died at home 1 day short of his 86th birthday. Mr. Stoddard was born August 19, 1918 in Chicago, Ill, the son of the late Herbert L. Stoddard, Sr. and Ada Wechselberg Stoddard. His early childhood was spent in Wisconsin from 1919 to 1924, near relatives of his parent and father?s museum friends. He moved to Grady Co., in June 1924 when his father settled on Sherwood Plantation to work with the Quail Investigation. His early schooling was at Sherwood School and later by a private teacher, Ethel Weeks with children at Susina Plantation nearby. In June, 1937 he graduated from Thomasville Highs School. He had served as halfback on the football team. From 1937 to 1938 he attended the Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina and in 1939 to 1940 he attended the University of Georgia at Athens. He graduated in June, 1941 with a major in zoology ? suma cum laude and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Herbert Lee called Sonny served in the United States Army from 1941 to 1946. In the fall of 1943 he was sent to Europe, crossed the Channel to France Normandy in D plus 6 June 13th 1944, then to France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg, Germany and Austria. In November 1945 he returned to the United States and was reversed to inactive status as a Captain in early 1946. He received five Battle Stars in European Theatres of Operations and was decorated with the Silver Star. For three years after the war Sonny worked in Forestry with Stoddard and Tift Corporation. He entered partnership with Gus and Gill Mitchell of Mitchell Brothers Lumber Company in Metcalf, GA in 1949. The company was changed to Mitchell Brothers- Stoddard Lumber Co., Inc. in 1960. It was sold October 1973. In his later years he practiced conservation and forestry on Sherwood Plantation and traveled promoting control burning. He held a lifelong love and reverence for the natural world. On June 14, 1952 he married Louise Jarnagin Stoddard in Thomasville. The ceremony was performed at Pine Shadow, the garden of a family friend, Mrs. Curtis Middleton. Mrs. Stoddard preceded him in death. Survivors include sons, Lee Stoddard, David Stoddard, daughter, Marie Erickson, and five grandchildren. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Thomas County Public Library or the Roddenberry Memorial Library in Cairo. Visitors may sign the online guest register at www.allenfh.com .