Virgil Oswald, Sr.

James & Sikes Funeral Home Maddox Chapel Mr. Virgil Dewey Oswald, Sr. of Malone died Sunday, March 9, 2014 at his residence. He was 97. Virgil Dewey Oswald, Sr., 97, of Malone passed away peacefully at home, Sunday, March 9, 2014. He was born January 22, 1917 to Mr. & Mrs. Robert E. Oswald of Bascom. Mr. Oswald graduated from Malone High School and Florida State University, majoring in English and school administration. He began his teaching career in Georgia, but spent the next thirty years as both a teacher and assistant principal in Florida. He organized and directed the Malone High School mixed chorus which over the next twenty years received numerous district and state awards. Later he produced and directed many plays and musicals for the school. Following his retirement, Mr. Oswald continued his love of teaching by working for the drama department of Chipola Junior College. A great passion of Mr. Oswald's life was music. He began studying piano at the age of five and was the church pianist at Mount Olive Baptist Church until he went away to college. He later served as music director of Malone First Baptist Church for fifty years. During this time he composed numerous musical pieces which were later published. He gave freely of his musical talents, playing for hundreds of weddings, funerals, and other special events. He is preceded in death by Shirley Turner Oswald, his wife of fifty six years, his parents, Robert and Leila Oswald, and ten brothers and sisters. He is survived by his son, Virgil Oswald, Jr. and wife, Barbara, of Marianna, his daughter, LuAnne Oswald O'Reilly, and husband, John, of Fort Walton Beach, grandchildren, Sarah Hunt, Daniel, Meghan, and Johnny, and great-grandson Braylon. Funeral services will be at the Malone First Baptist Church at 3 p.m., Thursday, March 13, 2014 with Revs. Ronnie Wright, John Smith and Don Wilson officiating. Burial will follow in Pinecrest Memorial Gardens with James & Sikes Funeral Home Maddox Chapel directing. Visitation will be at James & Sikes Funeral Home on Wednesday, March 12, 2014 from 5 to 7 p.m. Flowers will be accepted or donations can be made to Covenant Hospice at 4215 Kelson Ave. Suite E, Marianna, FL 32446 or First Baptist Church of Malone at 5366 9th Street, Malone, FL 32445 in his memory.