Elwin Shirah Lott, 91, of Canton, Georgia, passed away peacefully Friday afternoon, April 18th, 2014. He was born in Lyons, Georgia on June 2, 1922, to Musker Odom Lott and Sarah Elizabeth Sumner Lott. On April 14, 1945 he married and is survived by his beloved wife and partner, Grace Lancaster. Elwin accepted Christ as his Savior in 2006.

Elwin grew up in Metter, Georgia, graduating from Metter High School in 1939. The youngest of six boys, he was energetic, fearless and fun loving. His mother said he was harder to raise than the other five boys together. He joined the United States Navy in 1941, and remained in active service for twenty-two years, serving during World War II, as well as the Korean and Vietnam Wars. While in the Navy, he served upon five continents, much of the Caribbean, and islands throughout the South Pacific. He crossed the Equator, the International Date Line, and both the Arctic and Antarctic Circles. With eighteen additional years in the USN Fleet Reserve, he was recognized in 1971 for thirty years of service to the nation. He was also a member of the American Legion.

After retirement from active military service as a Chief Petty Officer, Elwin worked for twenty-two years as a safety engineer for the Georgia Department of Transportation in Brunswick and Tifton. He retired from the state in 1985 to become a "full-time" husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. As was true for his Navy and DOT records, his service in these capacities was exemplary.

Elwin is survived by three sons: Randall Stephen(wife, Carol) of Canton, Paul Wesley(Lorraine) of Savannah, and David Michael(Denise) of Greenville, South Carolina. His grandchildren are Chris, Emory (wife, Courtney), Kimberly (husband, Petr Buldakov, USN), Andrew (Vera), Allison, Anna, and Jacob Lott. His great-grandchildren are Mina, Aidan, Michael, Carson, Emmy, and Collier Lott.

Elwin will be buried with full military honors in the National Cemetery in Canton, Georgia Wednesday, April 23rd at 2:30 p.m., preceded by a 12:30 p.m. memorial service at Darby Funeral Home in Canton. Visitation will be Tuesday, April 22 from 6PM-8PM at Darby Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society at http://www.nmcrs.org or (800) 654-8364.

Funeral details are available on Darby Funeral Home website, http://www.darbyfuneralhome.com , or by calling (770) 479-2193.