Lyda Wyatt, age 96, passed away, August 28, 2019. Mr. Wyatt was born Jan. 27, 1923 and was a lifelong resident of Madison County having resided in the Big Laurel Community for the majority of his life and in the Big Pine Community since 1997. He was the son of Alvie Wyatt and Edith Edmonds Wyatt. In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by his wife of 60 years, Lois Brackens Wyatt; 3 sisters, Kitty Blankenship, Ella Blankenship and Zenobia Whitt, 4 brothers, Kenneth, Ernest, Clyde and Floyd Wyatt.

He is survived by 3 sons, Douglas Wyatt (Freida) of Leicester, N.C., David Wyatt (Rebecca) of Lake Wales, FL and Dan Wyatt (Teresa) of Hoschton GA. 3 grandsons, 2 great grandsons, 1 great granddaughter, and 1 great great grandson , plus many special nieces and nephews who he loved dearly.

Mr. Wyatt was a US Navy veteran of WWII. He served in the Pacific on the destroyer USS Mansfield, which participated in many campaigns, having patrolled in the South China Sea from Hong Kong to Saigon, and served as a cover for carrier strike groups that saw action in the waters off the Philippines, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and the islands of Japan. USS Mansfield and crew survived a typhoon in December,1944, which capsized 3 other destroyers. USS Mansfield was moored alongside the Battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay where the crew witnessed the Formal Japanese Surrender in September,1945.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM Saturday, August 31, 2019 at Robbie Capps Memorial Chapel. Rev Jack Taylor will conduct the service. Visitation will follow the service. Burial will follow at 12:30PM in California Creek Baptist Church Cemetery.

The family would like to express a special thank you to the staff of N.C. State Veterans Home, Black Mountain, NC for the great care and friendship they provided Mr. Wyatt during the past 4 years, and to Four Seasons Hospice for their assistance during his final months.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.blueridgefuneralservice.org