Mr. Frank Fernandez, Jr., 86, of Coffeeville, long-time educator, passed away Monday, November 20, 2017 at the Yalobusha General Hospital in Water Valley. He was born December 14, 1930 in Memphis, TN to Frank, Sr. and Catherine Mae Johnson Fernandez. Frank grew up in the College Hill Community near Oxford and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Mississippi State University and later earned a Masters of Combined Sciences from the University of Mississippi. He retired as a Major in the Air National Guard with a command pilot rating and had accumulated over 4,300 hours of flight time as a pilot and instructor. Frank honorably served his country and flew numerous missions during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War dropping both troops and supplies. He enjoyed a long, successful career as a chemistry, physics and biology teacher. Frank cherished the many young men and women that he taught and the recognition given to him by being selected as STAR teacher on six different occasions. Following his retirement, he joined the Corps of Engineers as a park ranger working at Enid Lake. It was there that he took a special interest in educating the many visitors to the park about the vast array of wildflowers growing in the park. He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He truly loved life and everything about it. Frank Fernandez will be remembered as leaving this world a little better than he found it and will be missed by all who knew and loved him.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM Saturday, November 25, 2017 at the Coffeeville Presbyterian Church with Rev. Michelle Howie and Rev. Don Roberson officiating. Interment with military honors will follow in the Coffeeville Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5:00 – 7:00 PM Friday evening and one hour prior to the service Saturday at the church.

Survivors include his wife, Dixie Purdy Fernandez; one son, Frank Fernandez, III of Grenada; one step-daughter, Angela Purdy of Blue Springs; one step-son, Ken Purdy of Montezuma, GA; eight grandchildren, Greg Fernandez, Shana Fernandez Marlow, Malori Fulgham, Elizabeth Butler, Jay Dogan, Elisa Purdy, William Purdy and Alexander Purdy and six great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Jennilyn Fernandez and four brothers, Pacelot, Sidney, Paul and Kenneth Fernandez.

Pallbearers will be Larry Bell, Mike Coleman, Phil Coleman, Kevin Horan, Gary Meeks and Ken Purdy. Honorary Pallbearers will be B.B. Billingsley, Bennie Butts, Gerald Meeks, Chick Miller, John Wayne Purdy, Roy Bennett Stevens and Mike Worsham.

Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.mckibbenandguinn.com.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of McKibben and Guinn Funeral Service in Grenada, 662-307-2694.