William Ray Covington of Indian Harbour Beach, FL passed away on January 30th, 2022 at his residence.
Bill was born and raised in Rockingham, North Carolina. There he lettered in three high school sports. Because of his athleticism, he attended Wake Forest University on a baseball scholarship. He was a team member of the 1962 ACC Championship Team.
After college, he entered the United States Army as a 2nd Lieutenant, Medical Services Corps. After attending flight school, he was assigned to the 498th Air Ambulance Company. He served two tours in Vietnam where he flew many “dustoff” flights. While there he received the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross with Three Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart, Air Medal with 23 Oak Leaf Clusters, Bronze Star, Commendation Medal, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry and the Korean Mung Tu for services in the Republic of Vietnam.
After retiring as Lieutenant Colonel, he worked in the financial field as a loan originator. After two careers, he became quite the Renaissance Man. He traveled with the Nike Golf Tour as a caddy before moving to Bogota, Colombia to work as an Aviation Manager for an American contractor in an anti-drug program.
Always positive, Bill was a stranger to none and a friend to many. He loved golf and sports of any kind. He was devoted to his Demon Deacons and the Auburn Tigers. His greatest joy was spending time with his three children and nine grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life will be held in Panama City Beach, FL.
For those who wish to honor Bill, a donation may be made to The Wounded Warriors Project.