Rest in Peace Roy Drinkard: Remembering the Remarkable Life of the Oldest Living U.S. Marine
With saddened hearts, people across Alabama and beyond are remembering Roy Drinkard, a World War II veteran, longtime businessman, community leader, and devoted public servant whose extraordinary life came to an end at the age of 106.
Drinkard died on August 23, 2026, in Cullman, Alabama. At the time of his passing, he was recognized as the oldest living United States Marine. His death marked the loss not only of a remarkable veteran but also of a man whose influence extended across generations.
For more than a century, Roy Drinkard witnessed enormous changes in America. He lived through the Great Depression, served his country during World War II, returned home to build businesses, helped attract new industry to North Alabama, supported education, and remained involved in his community well into his 100s.
His story was never simply about reaching the age of 106.
It was about what he did with those years.
A life that began in Alabama
Roy Henry Drinkard was born on July 12, 1920, in Falkville, Alabama.
He grew up in a family where hard work, business, and community involvement were familiar parts of everyday life. His father was a businessman who also served as mayor of Falkville for many years.
From an early age, Roy developed a strong work ethic. According to his obituary, he began delivering newspapers when he was only nine years old. He later attended St. Bernard Preparatory School in Cullman and went on to graduate from Gupton-Jones College of Mortuary Science.
Those early experiences helped shape a man who would spend much of his life working, building, and serving others.
But before his business career became the central part of his life, history called him in another direction.
Serving during World War II
As a young man, Roy Drinkard joined the United States Marine Corps during World War II.
He served as a private first class and saw service in the Pacific Theater. His military service remained an important part of his identity throughout his long life.
For Drinkard, military service was not simply a line on a r茅sum茅.
It represented a period in his youth when an entire generation was called upon to make enormous sacrifices.
The men and women who served during World War II left behind families, jobs, homes, and ordinary routines to answer a national call. Many faced circumstances that would remain with them for the rest of their lives.
Drinkard carried the memory of that generation with him for more than eight decades.
By the final years of his life, he represented a living connection to a period that had become history for younger Americans.
And when he passed away at 106, that connection became part of history itself.
Coming home after the war
When the war ended, Drinkard returned to Alabama and began building the next chapter of his life.
His professional journey initially connected him with the funeral-service business. He worked in the family funeral-home tradition and operated a funeral home in Guntersville before returning to Cullman.
But his ambitions eventually extended far beyond that field.
In 1949, Drinkard moved into a new phase of his career in Cullman. He became a partner in Drinkard Pontiac-GMC and later opened Drinkard Chevrolet Company in 1955. He remained involved with the Chevrolet business until 1974.
From there, his business interests expanded considerably.
Building more than businesses
Drinkard eventually became involved in commercial development through Drinkard Development.
His projects included shopping centers, theaters, medical complexes, apartments, and other commercial properties across parts of the Southeast.
His work was not limited to Cullman.
Projects connected to his development activities reached communities in Alabama and other Southern states, including Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Ohio.
But perhaps one of the most important parts of his business legacy was his involvement in efforts to bring new industries and economic opportunities to North Alabama.
Drinkard was part of a group known as the “Flying 50,” a group of entrepreneurs who traveled in an effort to attract industry to the Cullman area.
Their work reflected a broader belief that communities could change their future by creating opportunities for businesses, workers, and families.
For Drinkard, economic development was another form of community service.
A commitment to education
His influence also extended into education.
In April 2000, when he was nearly 80 years old, Drinkard was appointed to the Troy University Board of Trustees. He was subsequently reappointed, most recently in 2020.
His involvement came during important periods in the university's development.
Troy University credited Drinkard with providing leadership during major moments, including the consolidation of the university system, the “One Great University” initiative, and the launch of the institution's first doctoral programs.
He also received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Troy University in 2014.
For a man who had already lived through several generations of American history, his continued commitment to education demonstrated a belief in preparing future generations rather than simply celebrating the accomplishments of the past.
A community leader who kept giving back
Over the decades, Drinkard became deeply connected to Cullman.
He was not simply a businessman who happened to live there.
He became part of the community's story.
His work affected local commerce, development, education, and charitable efforts. His name became familiar to generations of residents.
The Cullman Times recognized him as Cullman's Outstanding Citizen of the Century, while the City of Cullman presented him with a key to the city in 2017. He also received the Great American Hero Award and the Dr. Jack Hawkins Lifetime Achievement Award in 2025.
Those honors represented only a portion of the recognition he received throughout his life.
Yet people who knew him often emphasized something beyond awards and business achievements.
They remembered his personality.
The man behind the accomplishments
One of the recurring themes in tributes to Drinkard was his ability to connect with people.
His obituary described someone who loved people and could make friends almost anywhere.
Friends and family remembered his humor, optimism, and ability to maintain relationships across generations.
That aspect of his personality helps explain why his passing has been felt so deeply in the communities where he lived and worked.
A building can remain.
A business can continue.
A scholarship can help a student.
But personal relationships are different.
They are carried by memory.
Someone remembers a conversation.
Another remembers a handshake.
Someone else remembers advice that came at the right moment.
And another person remembers simply being welcomed and treated with kindness.
Those moments rarely appear in official biographies, but they can become the most meaningful parts of a person's legacy.
Still working toward his goals at 105 and 106
Drinkard's age never seemed to define the limits of his involvement.
In 2025, when he celebrated his 105th birthday, he was still being recognized for his contributions to the community and his continued involvement with Troy University.
The fact that he reached 105 was remarkable.
The fact that he remained connected to people and institutions around him at that age was even more remarkable.
Then, on July 12, 2026, he celebrated his 106th birthday.
According to The Cullman Tribune, he had spent 123 days in the hospital during his final year but achieved a personal goal of returning home before his 106th birthday. He died approximately six weeks later.
That detail offers a glimpse into his determination during the final stage of his life.
The oldest living U.S. Marine
At the time of his death, Drinkard was recognized as the oldest living United States Marine.
The distinction carried special meaning because it connected his personal story to a generation that is rapidly disappearing.
World War II ended more than 80 years ago.
The veterans who served during that conflict are now very few compared with the millions who once wore the uniforms of the Allied nations.
Every time another World War II veteran passes away, the country loses another person who personally experienced that period.
Drinkard's death therefore represented more than the loss of one individual.
It marked the passing of another living connection to an extraordinary chapter in American history.
A patriot until the end
Drinkard remained proud of his country and his home state throughout his life.
In remarks quoted by The Cullman Tribune, he expressed pride in being an American, an Alabamian, and a resident of Cullman County.
His patriotism was closely connected to service.
He served in uniform during wartime.
Then, after returning home, he continued serving through business, community development, education, and charitable involvement.
That broader definition of service became a recurring theme in tributes following his death.
Congressman Robert Aderholt described Drinkard as someone who understood service as a responsibility, noting that his commitment continued through business, education, and efforts to help his community.
A legacy that stretches across generations
Perhaps the most striking part of Roy Drinkard's story is how many different generations were touched by his life.
He served his country during World War II.
He helped develop businesses in the postwar era.
He participated in economic-development efforts.
He supported educational institutions.
He remained active in civic life as technology, culture, and society changed around him.
And he lived long enough to see grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow up.
His 106 years covered an extraordinary period of change.
The world he entered in 1920 was dramatically different from the world that existed when he died in 2026.
He lived through the rise of commercial aviation, television, computers, the internet, smartphones, and countless other transformations.
Yet throughout all those changes, some things remained important to him: family, faith, friendship, service, and community.
Remembering the lessons of a long life
At 105, Drinkard was asked about the lesson he carried with him from a lifetime of experience.
His answer, reported by The Cullman Tribune, was simple: “Love one another as I have loved you.”
Those words offer a fitting reflection on the legacy described by the people who knew him.
His life was filled with business achievements and public recognition.
But his story was not only about buildings, companies, awards, or titles.
It was also about relationships.
About helping communities grow.
About creating opportunities.
About remembering where he came from.
And about remaining connected to people.
A final farewell
Roy Drinkard's death leaves behind family, friends, colleagues, former employees, students, community members, fellow veterans, and countless others who encountered his influence during his 106 years.
Troy University has remembered him for his service as a trustee.
Cullman has remembered him as a community leader.
Alabama has remembered him as a veteran and businessman.
And the Marine Corps community has lost a remarkable representative of an earlier generation.
His life cannot be reduced to the title “oldest living Marine.”
That distinction was remarkable, but it represented only one chapter of a much larger story.
He was a World War II veteran.
A businessman.
A developer.
A community builder.
An educator and university trustee.
A friend.
A father and grandfather.
And, to many people who knew him personally, simply Roy.
His generation is slowly becoming history, but the lessons left behind by people like Drinkard do not have to disappear.
Service can continue after military service ends.
Leadership can take many forms.
Communities can be strengthened by people willing to invest in them.
And a long life can be measured not only by the number of years lived, but also by the number of lives touched along the way.
Roy Drinkard lived for 106 years.
He served his country during one of the most consequential conflicts in modern history.
He returned home and spent decades helping build his community.
He supported education and opportunities for future generations.
And he remained connected to the people around him until the final chapter.
Now, the Marine who became a businessman, community leader, and beloved Alabama figure has passed into history himself.
Rest in peace, Roy Drinkard.
Thank you for your service, your leadership, and the generations of people whose lives were touched by your work. 馃嚭馃嚫❤️
May your memory continue to inspire those who believe that a life of service can take many forms — in uniform, in business, in education, and most importantly, in the way we treat the people around us.
Take a moment to honor Roy Drinkard and the World War II generation. If you have a veteran in your family, consider sharing their story too. Their memories are an important part of histor
0 commentaires:
Enregistrer un commentaire