Colonel William Gordon Pearson, Senior, died on 29 February 2012 in Carrollton at 85 years of age. He was born on 22 August 1926 in Taylorsville, Mississippi. His parents were William Jennings Bryan Pearson and Myrtis Mann Pearson of Mississippi City, Mississippi. He attended public schools in Mississippi City on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. He graduated from High School at Perkinston Junior College in 1944 and promptly enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He served on the USS Waukesha (AKA-84) as coxswain of a Landing Craft during the Okinawa Campaign and the occupation of Japan during World War II. After being discharged from the Navy he attended Mississippi State University earning a Bachelors of Science degree in Entomology. On January 26 of 1951 he married the former Jeanette Harger of Ruston, Louisiana in Ruston, Louisiana. Upon graduation from Mississippi State, he was commissioned as an Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army serving as Commander, Company B, 28th Infantry Regiment, training infantry Soldiers during the Korean conflict. After Korea he transferred to the Army Medical Service Corps where he served until 1978. During his Lieutenant and Captain years he served as the Commander of Preventive Medicine units at Camp Stewart, Georgia, France, Germany, Lebanon, Fort Meade, Maryland and South Korea. As a Major he served at the Medical Field Service School, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Upon promotion to Lieutenant Colonel he served in the 3rd Army Surgeon's Office at Fort McPherson, Georgia and the Surgeon's Office , U.S. Army South in the Panama Canal Zone. Upon return to the United States he was promoted to Colonel and assigned as the Entomology Consultant, Office of the Army Surgeon General, Headquarters, Department of the Army where he was the Senior Entomologist in the Army and Chairman of the Armed Force Pest Control Board for the Department of Defense. Following this assignment he served at the Army Environmental Health Agency at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland after which he retired from the Army with a total of nearly 30 years of military service. His military awards include the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf clusters, World War II Victory Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, Army of Occupation Medal and the National Defense Service Medal. Despite his demanding military career he was a dedicated husband and father and served in churches around the world. While serving in West Manor Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia, he was ordained as a deacon in 1966. Since retiring to Carrollton he served as church deacon, Sunday School Superintendent for the Carrollton Baptist Association, and as President of the Carrollton Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). For the last 25 years he has been a beloved charter member of Kings Chapel Presbyterian Church. His father and mother, brother, Staff Sergeant Bryan Taswell Pearson who was killed in action in WWII, and daughter Catherine Annette Pearson, precede him in death. His is survived by his wife of 61 years, Jeanette Harger Pearson, four children Debra (John) Pearson Watkins of Carrollton, Major James Taswell (Lisa) Pearson of Richmond Hill, GA, William Gordon(Elaine) Pearson, Jr. of Boston, MA, and Peggy (Clint) Pearson Watson of Atlanta, thirteen grandchildren Jennifer (Lee) Denny of Carrollton, Matt (Devin) Watkins of Carrollton, Bryan (Erin) Pearson of Cambridge, Massachusets, Margaret (Dennis) Pearson Leung of Richmond Hill, GA, Katie Elizabeth Watkins of Carrollton, Mallory Pearson of Boston, Caitlyn Pearson of Boston, Grace Pearson of Boston, Bryce Watson of Atlanta, Lyndsey Watson of Atlanta, Hannah Pearson of Boston, Kelsey Watson of Atlanta and Emma Pearson of Boston. And he has twelve great-grandchildren. Memorial donations may be made to King's Chapel Presbyterian Church, 1916 Highway 27 South, Carrollton, GA 30117. Funeral services will be conducted Saturday, March 3, 2012 at 2 PM from King's Chapel Presbyterian Church with Rev. Donnie Jones and Min. Bryan Pearson officiating. Interment will follow in Rocky Mount Baptist Church Cemetery with full military honors. The family will receive friends at the funeral Friday from 5 PM until 9 PM. Messages of condolences may be sent to the family at www.martin-hightower.com. Martin & Hightower Heritage Chapel of Carrollton has charge of the arrangements.