Mitchell "Mickey" Sexton Obituary

CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER MITCHELL “MICKEY” V. SEXTON, 85, OF FOREST HOME, ALABAMA, PASSED AWAY AT HIS HOME ON AUGUST 21, 2025.

FUNERAL SERVICES WILL BE HELD ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2025, BEGINNING AT 2:00 P.M. AT FOREST HOME BAPTIST CHURCH WITH BROTHER JERRY WILKERSON AND BROTHER KEN JACKSON OFFICIATING AND DUNKLIN FUNERAL HOME DIRECTING. BURIAL WILL FOLLOW IN THE FOREST HOME CEMETERY.  THE FAMILY WILL RECEIVE FRIENDS FOR VISITATION BEGINNING AT 1:00 P.M. UNTIL SERVICE TIME.

HE IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE PAULA SUE DUEBELT-SEXTON; DAUGHTER LISA KAY SEXTON; STEP-SON CHARLES P. McCARTHY; NIECE REGINA GRAYSON; SISTER MARGARET HERRING; AND NUMEROUS OTHER NIECES AND NEPHEWS. 

HE WAS PRECEEDED IN DEATH BY HIS PARENTS WILLIAM HOLLIE AND EXA LUCILLE SEXTON; SISTER EMMIE LOU GRAYSON; BROTHERS WILLIAM ORDEN SEXTON AND WILLIE HUGH SEXTON; TWO NEPHEWS WILLIAM VAN GRAYSON AND SHANE HERRING.

CHIEF SEXTON, A NATIVE OF GREENVILLE, GREW UP IN THE DAN RIVER COTTON MILL VILLAGE. HE RAN MOVIES AT THE RITZ THEATRE AND LEARNED TO FLY AT THE GREENVILLE AIRPORT, RAN BY MAC CRENSHAW. IT WAS HERE AS A STUDENT HE MADE NOT ONLY HIS FIRST SOLO FLIGHT, BUT ALSO THE FIRST SOLO FLIGHT OF THE NEWLY-BUILT AIRPORT IN 1961.

HIS LOVE OF FLYING LED TO A SUCCESSFUL LIFELONG CAREER WORKING HIS WAY UP TO HEAD PILOT FOR THE STATE OF ALABAMA WHERE HE RETIRED AS DIRECTOR OF AIR TRANSPORTATION AND SERVICES. DURING HIS TENURE, HE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF TRANSPORTING GOVERNORS GEORGE AND LURLEEN WALLACE; ALBERT BREWER; GUY HUNT; JIM FOLSOM, JR.; AND FOB JAMES IN HIS BELOVED JET COMMANDER. 

IN 1979, CHIEF SEXTON GRADUATED FROM THE ROTARY WING QUALIFICATION COURSE IN FORT RUCKER, AL. THIS LED TO A SECOND CAREER IN THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD FLYING HUEY GUNSHIPS.

BY 2000, CHIEF SEXTON HUNG UP HIS FLIGHT SUITS TO RETIRE TO COUNTRY LIFE IN FOREST HOME, AL. HERE HE OBTAINED HIS AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE WITH THE CALL SIGN K4MRE. FOR SEVERAL CHRISTMAS EVES, HE PERFORMED OVER THE AIRWAVES AS SANTA CLAUS DELIVERING HIS TOYS.

HE CONTINUED HIS PUBLIC SERVICE AS CHIEF OF THE FOREST HOME VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR MANY YEARS.

BEGINNING IN 2011, MR. SEXTON BEGAN A BATTLE WITH CANCER THAT FINALLY CAME TO AN END IN AUGUST OF 2025.

“WELL DONE, THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT.”