Chief Master Sgt. Arthur Lee Flanders Jr.

Chief Master Sgt. Air National Guardsman (retired) Arthur Lee Flanders Jr., age 68, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Tuesday, May 21st, 2024.
Arthur, known mostly as Al, was born on March 31, 1956, in Savannah, Georgia, to Arthur Lee and Nelouise Price Flanders.
He was preceded in death by his father, Arthur Lee Flanders Sr.; his mother, Nelouise Price Flanders Ansley; and stepfather, Charles Waldon Ansley.
Al is survived by his wife, Cheryl, his angel without wings for 47 years; daughter, Kristie Chavis (Michael); son, Trey Flanders (Staci); the lights of his life, his grandchildren, Hallie, Kane, Helen and Kate; two sisters, Delaine Sumner of Talahi Island and Sally Shuman (Buddy) of Ellabell; one brother, Charles "Chuck" Ansley (Robin) of Bloomingdale; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
Al was a 1974 graduate of Tompkins High School and loved every minute he could spend with his classmates while in school and thereafter during their annual gatherings at Spanky's. There he built unwavering bonds with friends dear to his heart that would last forever.
He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Pembroke, where he served on the board of deacons and sang in the choir along with the men's quartet.
Al was all about family. His mother said he inherited this from his father. He lived through his children.
One of his claims to fame was to be able to sit alone in the orchestra pit at the Lucas Theatre and play, "What Child Is This," on his guitar and amp while Mrs. Muldrew played the flute for the BCHS choir and his daughter Kristie to sing.
He was an avid outdoorsman and loved all types of hunting. Other hobbies were high school baseball and kart racing, to which he considered "kid insurance".
He said he always knew where his son, Trey, was at 1:30 in the morning on any Saturday night even though it may have had Trey running 65-70 mph on some oval track in the state somewhere, which he considered perfectly normal.
Chief Master Sgt. Flanders enlisted in the Georgia Air National Guard on January 13, 1982, and served 33 years with the 117th Air Control Squadron, Georgia Air National Guard until April of 2015.
His duty assignment was to maintain the highly complex, electronic equipment which encrypted top secret wartime messages and signals. Al quickly became an expert on that equipment and he advanced to become the manager of that work center, which would always be found "flawless" under his direction.
Al's expertise and efficiency was surely recognized, as he rose to the highest enlisted rank.
Eventually, and inevitably, Al was appointed to the maintenance superintendent position, where he would direct the entire maintenance workforce of the squadron.
Al's service included deployments to many foreign countries such as Norway, Kuwait, Columbia, Italy, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and others.
He was presented many awards for his outstanding performance.
Al was loved and appreciated by all of his peers and he was a tremendous asset to the squadron, the Georgia Air National Guard and to his country, which he loved dearly.
Following in his father's footsteps, at the age of 29, Al became a Mason and joined the Acacia Lodge. A year later, he transferred his membership to the Richard T. Turner Lodge, where he remained dedicated for 38 years. He served as treasurer for many years, which is a true testament to his trustworthiness and business abilities, and in 1992 he served as the Worshipful Master, displaying his leadership talents. He performed with excellence in both positions.
Al was an outstanding ritualist in all of his assignments at the Richard T. Turner Lodge.
Visitation will be held 1-3 p.m. Friday, May 24, 2024, at First Baptist Pembroke.
The funeral service will be 3 p.m. Friday, May 24, 2024, with Dr. Brad Butler and the Rev. Tommy Smith officiating.
Pallbearers will be Bryan Tice, Ryan Tice, Lee Tice, Daniel Stafford, Steven Stafford, Bobby Stafford, Mason Stafford and Trace Shuman.
Interment will follow at Northside Cemetery with Masonic rites and military honors.
To sign the online register, please visit www.flanderspowellfuneralhome.com.
Flanders Powell Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements for Chief Master Sgt. Air National Guard (retired) Arthur Lee Flanders Jr.

Bryan County News
Thursday, May 23, 2024
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