Edgar Lee Allison Jr.

Lt. Col. Edgar L. Allison Jr., US Air Force retired, died Sunday, Dec. 7, 2024, in Fort Walton Beach. He was 91 years old. Ed was born July 18, 1934, to Edgar and Ruby Allison of Chattanooga, Tennessee. He had a long and distinguished military career, earning a place in aviation history when he commanded a Lockheed HC-130 Hercules on a world record nonstop flight from Ching Chuan Kang Air Base, Taiwan, to Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, in 1972. Ed flew 8,732 miles in 21 hours, earning the Harmon International Trophy and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He received both awards from President Gerald Ford at a White House Ceremony. More than fifty years later, the record still stands.

Ed is predeceased by his parents and his sisters, Carmen Smith and Carolyn Rhea. He is survived by his beloved wife of 36 years, Charlene; three children, Valarie Webb of Robertsdale, Alabama, Eddie Allison of Gulf Breeze, Florida, and Wendy (Mark) Winter of Gulf Breeze, Florida; three stepchildren, Wendy (David) Hanle of Shalimar, Florida, Susan Stanford of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and Edwin (Wendy) Stanford Jr. of Destin, Florida; 15 grandchildren, Hannah Milne, Nissa (Ricky) Gordon, Zarah (Tim) Thomas, Emma (Mike) Gillen, Kate Allison, Courtney Winter, Brett Winter, Kaysie (Jason) Mills, Bailee (Robert) Keefe, Makenzie (John) Zeidler, Jace Hanle, Riley Hanle, Abbie Stanford, Cameron Stanford and Caroline Stanford; and 13 great-grandchildren, Lily Milne, Isaac Milne, Paisley Gordon, Wyatt Gordon, Penelope Gordon, Waylon Thomas, Remi Thomas, Murphie Mills, Merritt Mills, Boone Mills, Remi Mills, Milo Mills, Lane Mills, Finlee Keefe, Gibson Keefe and Rowan Zeidler.

A Celebration of Life will be held at noon on Sunday, December 21, 2025, at Fort Walton Beach First United Methodist Church.