Cover photo for Ssgt Edward Pentz, US Army Ret.'s Obituary
Ssgt Edward Pentz, US Army Ret. Profile Photo

Ssgt Edward Pentz, US Army Ret.

d. August 20, 2018

Ssgt Edward Pentz, US Army Ret.

SSgt Edward Pentz, US Army Ret., age 86, passed away Monday, August 20, 2018. He was born in Cincinnati, OH and enlisted in the United States Army on June 2, 1948 at age 16. He spent over 20 years in the Army and retired October 31, 1968. Mr. Pentz moved to the Gulf Coast in August 1969. He worked for his brother, Cash Cotton, at the Red Dog Saloon. He also worked at Ingalls Shipbuilding as a Planner for 12 years before taking early retirement. He owned and operated a lawn service and landscaping business on the MS Gulf Coast for 19 years. He was also an active member of the First Baptist Church of Ocean Springs. While in the U.S. Army, SSgt Pentz was awarded the following awards: Good Conduct Medal with 5 Knots, National Defense Service Medal with 1 Oak Leaf, Korean Service Medal with 1 Silver Star, Vietnam Service Medal, U.N. Service Medal with 1 Bronze Star, Republic of Vietnam Champaign Medal and Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon, 5 Overseas Combat Strips, Expert Shooting Badge with Rifle, Carbine and Pistol Bars, the U.S. Army Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge. SSgt Pentz was the 195th Pistol Shooter out of 40,000 Pistol Classifications on the NRA Records (in 1962) to shoot a 2600 out of 2700 in a sanctioned National Rifle Association Match. He was assigned to the Fourth U.S. Army Pistol Team in 1962, the U.S. Army Europe Pistol Team from 1963 to 1965 and the Fifth U.S. Army Pistol Team in 1964 and 1967. He was an NRA Master Classification Pistol Shooter and a Master Small Arms Instructor, teaching shooting with all weapons issued to the individual soldier. He was the winner of the Fourth U.S. Army Pistol Championships in 1962 and won the Oklahoma State Pistol Matches in the same year. He was a lifetime member of the DAV, the Retired Enlisted Association, the American Legion, Non-Commissioned Officers Association and a member of the VFW Post 42 of Ocean Springs, MS. He was a veteran of the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War. Edward is preceded in death by his parents, Clio Ramsey Pentz and James H. Pentz of Cincinnati, OH; two brothers, William S. Pentz Marcum (known on the Gulf Coast as Cash Cotton), and John W. Pentz of Fort Thomas, KY; his only sister, Ruth Goshorn of Highland Heights, KY; his wife of 32 years, Winnie W. Daniels Pentz of Ocean Springs, MS; stepchildren, Nell Y. Sumrall Griggin and Donald Dean Sumrall, both of Ocean Springs, MS; and step-grandchildren, Tonya Merlau, Melanie Sumrall, Shawn Sumrall, and Mark Sumrall. Survivors include his children, Roberta L. (Gary) Sivley of Mt. Ida, AR and James E. (Jeannie) Pentz of Springdale, AR; grandchildren, Heather Brown and Amber Gulley of Alma, AR, Michael, Gina, Christopher, and Jeffery Pentz of Springdale, AR; step-children, Henry (Brenda) Sumrall of Keller, TX, Margaret Neumann of Burnsville, NC, Linda (Les) Bowman of Burnsville, NC, John Eddie (Linda) Sumrall of Perkinston, MS, and Debra Sumrall, wife of the late Dean Sumrall of Ocean Springs, MS; great-grandchildren, Ashleigh Hood, Madison Brown, Shaleigh Brown, Cambrey Sullivent, Joshua Gulley, Tyler Gulley, and Jace Burkhart all of Arkansas; step-grandchildren, Rhonda Sumrall, Chad Sumrall, Christa Sumrall, John Neumann, Pamela Neumann, Jennifer Budinich, and Tommy Children; numerous step-great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews from Kentucky and Ohio. Visitation will be held Thursday, August 23, 2018 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the Ocean Springs Stateroom of Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home, with a service Friday, August 24, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. at the First Baptist Church of Ocean Springs. Interment will follow at Biloxi National Cemetery at 11:00 a.m. with full military honors.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Ssgt Edward Pentz, US Army Ret., please visit our flower store.

Past Services

Visitation

Thursday, August 23, 2018

6:00 - 8:00 pm

Bradford O'Keefe Funeral Home - Ocean Springs

911 Porter Avenue, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Service

Friday, August 24, 2018

Starts at 10:00 am

First Baptist Church of Ocean Springs

602 Washtington Avenue, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Cemetery

Biloxi National Cemetery

400 Veterans Ave., Biloxi, MS 39531

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Guestbook

Visits: 21

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Send Flowers

Send Flowers

Plant A Tree

Plant A Tree