Official Obituary of
Cecil A. Darby
March 17, 1924 ~ January 28, 2017 (age 92) 92 Years Old
Cecil Darby Obituary
Cecil A. Darby, of Columbus, GA, former sports editor of the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, died on Saturday, January 28, 2017.
Funeral services will be held 2:00 PM Friday, February 3, 2017 at the Chapel of McMullen Funeral Home and Crematory 3874 Gentian Blvd. Columbus, GA 31907 with Dr. Kevin Calhoun officiating. A private interment will be held at Parkhill Cemetery.
A lifelong resident of Columbus, Mr. Darby was born March 17, 1924, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Cecil A. Darby, Sr., and attended Waverly Terrace elementary school, Industrial High School, Columbus Junior High School, Jordan High School and graduated from Columbus High School in January, 1942.
While at Columbus High, he served as sports editor of the school newspaper, the Blue Streak, writing his first columns for that publication, and played one season of baseball.
It was while a Junior at Columbus High that he had his first by-lined story published in the Columbus Ledger, January 23, 1940, a story reporting on an upcoming basketball game between Columbus High School and Jordan.
Following graduation, he was employed by Tom Huston Peanut Co. and in the Fort Benning Post Engineers office before attending the University of Florida during the fall semester of 1942.
He served 34 months in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, beginning service on February 8, 1943, and being discharged on December 5, 1945.
He was employed by Georgia Power Co. following his discharge until joining the Columbus Cardinals in April, 1946, serving as clubhouse attendant. He also wrote a sports column for the weekly Columbus Mirror until it folded in late summer.
He continued his employment with the Columbus baseball club in 1947, serving as the team's bus driver. He worked in the Cardinals' office while the club was in town and handled the P.A. system for games at Golden Park from 1947 through mid-1953.
He joined the sports staff of The Ledger and Sunday Ledger-Enquirer in February, 1948, serving as acting sports editor of the paper starting in March under the supervision of news editor Bruce Wilder.
He began writing a daily sports column, March 2, 1948, and continued in the capacity of acting sports editor until July, 1948, when he became assistant sports editor when Tom Kinney became sports editor of those newspapers.
He edited the first South Atlantic League Dope Book in 1948, a record of the league since its inception in 1904, and also edited other editions in 1949, 1951 and 1953. A personal letter from Ty Cobb recalling his early days in the league was a feature of the final edition which highlighted the league's 50th anniversary.
He was a charter member of the 30-man Honors court (selection committee) of the Georgia Prep Sports Hall of Fame when it was organized in 1957, one of six newspaper reporters from around the state named. It later merged with the State of Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
Mr. Darby became sports editor of The Ledger, July 28, 1958, and continued in that capacity until October 1, 1961, when he became Ledger-Enquirer executive sports editor with the consolidation of the sports staffs of The Ledger and The Enquirer.
He resumed the position as sports editor of The Ledger, April 1, 1966, when each paper again had its own sports staff. He continued in that capacity until June 1976, when he was named "sports columnist" for The Ledger. He also wrote a weekly golf column during the summers of 1977 and 1978.
Mr. Darby concluded his career as a sportswriter when he transferred to The Ledger's news copy desk, October 1, 1979, and remained there until March 16, 1984, when he retired with 36 years seven months of service with the newspapers.
Mr. Darby was a member of the founding committees of the Chattahoochee Valley Sports Hall of Fame, serving as secretary of that organization in 1994, and the Columbus State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995.
He was inducted into the South Atlantic League Hall of Fame in 1995, the Chattahoochee Valley Sports Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Columbus State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998.
Mr. Darby researched the complete history of professional baseball in Columbus which began in 1885, charting every game covered by newspapers, and also kept extensive records on Columbus College sports teams in their early days, high school sports and local golf.
A complete collection of his more than 4,000 sports columns is housed in the Columbus Public Library, as well as his history of professional baseball (1885-1999) in Columbus.
He was a long-time member of the Rose Hill United Methodist Church.
Mr. Darby is survived by two first cousins, Dianne H. Hendley of Springfield, MO, and her husband, Clint, and Dr. Evans E. Harrell of Rocky Mount, NC, and his wife, Jan; seven second cousins, John Hendley, Brian Hendley, Emily Hendley, Waverly Harrell, Susan S. DeVino, Barbara Simcox, and Ann S. Tarleton; and a special friend, Betty King of Columbus.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Chattahoochee Valley Sports Hall of Fame, Rose Hill United Methodist Church, the Spring Harbor Employee's Fund, or to a favorite charity.
3874 Gentian Blvd.
Columbus, GA, 31907
Funeral services will be held 2:00 PM Friday, February 3, 2017 at the Chapel of McMullen Funeral Home and Crematory 3874 Gentian Blvd. Columbus, GA 31907 with Dr. Kevin Calhoun officiating. A private interment will be held at Parkhill Cemetery.
A lifelong resident of Columbus, Mr. Darby was born March 17, 1924, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Cecil A. Darby, Sr., and attended Waverly Terrace elementary school, Industrial High School, Columbus Junior High School, Jordan High School and graduated from Columbus High School in January, 1942.
While at Columbus High, he served as sports editor of the school newspaper, the Blue Streak, writing his first columns for that publication, and played one season of baseball.
It was while a Junior at Columbus High that he had his first by-lined story published in the Columbus Ledger, January 23, 1940, a story reporting on an upcoming basketball game between Columbus High School and Jordan.
Following graduation, he was employed by Tom Huston Peanut Co. and in the Fort Benning Post Engineers office before attending the University of Florida during the fall semester of 1942.
He served 34 months in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, beginning service on February 8, 1943, and being discharged on December 5, 1945.
He was employed by Georgia Power Co. following his discharge until joining the Columbus Cardinals in April, 1946, serving as clubhouse attendant. He also wrote a sports column for the weekly Columbus Mirror until it folded in late summer.
He continued his employment with the Columbus baseball club in 1947, serving as the team's bus driver. He worked in the Cardinals' office while the club was in town and handled the P.A. system for games at Golden Park from 1947 through mid-1953.
He joined the sports staff of The Ledger and Sunday Ledger-Enquirer in February, 1948, serving as acting sports editor of the paper starting in March under the supervision of news editor Bruce Wilder.
He began writing a daily sports column, March 2, 1948, and continued in the capacity of acting sports editor until July, 1948, when he became assistant sports editor when Tom Kinney became sports editor of those newspapers.
He edited the first South Atlantic League Dope Book in 1948, a record of the league since its inception in 1904, and also edited other editions in 1949, 1951 and 1953. A personal letter from Ty Cobb recalling his early days in the league was a feature of the final edition which highlighted the league's 50th anniversary.
He was a charter member of the 30-man Honors court (selection committee) of the Georgia Prep Sports Hall of Fame when it was organized in 1957, one of six newspaper reporters from around the state named. It later merged with the State of Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
Mr. Darby became sports editor of The Ledger, July 28, 1958, and continued in that capacity until October 1, 1961, when he became Ledger-Enquirer executive sports editor with the consolidation of the sports staffs of The Ledger and The Enquirer.
He resumed the position as sports editor of The Ledger, April 1, 1966, when each paper again had its own sports staff. He continued in that capacity until June 1976, when he was named "sports columnist" for The Ledger. He also wrote a weekly golf column during the summers of 1977 and 1978.
Mr. Darby concluded his career as a sportswriter when he transferred to The Ledger's news copy desk, October 1, 1979, and remained there until March 16, 1984, when he retired with 36 years seven months of service with the newspapers.
Mr. Darby was a member of the founding committees of the Chattahoochee Valley Sports Hall of Fame, serving as secretary of that organization in 1994, and the Columbus State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995.
He was inducted into the South Atlantic League Hall of Fame in 1995, the Chattahoochee Valley Sports Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Columbus State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998.
Mr. Darby researched the complete history of professional baseball in Columbus which began in 1885, charting every game covered by newspapers, and also kept extensive records on Columbus College sports teams in their early days, high school sports and local golf.
A complete collection of his more than 4,000 sports columns is housed in the Columbus Public Library, as well as his history of professional baseball (1885-1999) in Columbus.
He was a long-time member of the Rose Hill United Methodist Church.
Mr. Darby is survived by two first cousins, Dianne H. Hendley of Springfield, MO, and her husband, Clint, and Dr. Evans E. Harrell of Rocky Mount, NC, and his wife, Jan; seven second cousins, John Hendley, Brian Hendley, Emily Hendley, Waverly Harrell, Susan S. DeVino, Barbara Simcox, and Ann S. Tarleton; and a special friend, Betty King of Columbus.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Chattahoochee Valley Sports Hall of Fame, Rose Hill United Methodist Church, the Spring Harbor Employee's Fund, or to a favorite charity.
Funeral Service
FEB 3. 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM (EST)
McMullen Funeral Home Chapel3874 Gentian Blvd.
Columbus, GA, 31907
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