Colonel US Army Retired Willard Bradford Litchfield, 86, had his Easter Sunday, October 7, 2016 at his home. A graveside service will be held Thursday, October 20, 2016 at 11:00 AM in Oakdale Cemetery, officiated by Father Jim Reed.

Colonel Litchfield was born in Aurora, NC on January 24, 1930. He is preceded in death by his parents, Garnet Bonner Litchfield and William Anderson Thompson Litchfield and brothers, Thompson (Tomp) Dupont Litchfield and Retired Lt Colonel John Stockard Litchfield.

Surviving Colonel Litchfield is his wife of 65 years, Julia Hoyt Litchfield; daughters Julia Beth Litchfield and Mary Litchfield Toler (husband Steve Toler); two grandsons, O’Bealie Bradford Rawls (wife Meredith Buck Rawls) and Matthew Bonner Rawls (wife Caroline Phillips Rawls); a brother, Irving Bonner Litchfield; sisters-in-law, Ysabel Dupree Litchfield and Betty Hoyt Parvin (husband Billy Parvin), and many nieces and nephews.

He was a graduate of Aurora High School, Class of 1949 and enlisted in the US Air Force upon graduation. On August 17, 1951, he married the love of his life, who he shared the same birth date with, the former Julia Brush Hoyt of Washington. Colonel Litchfield spent four and half years of active duty in the US Air Force, Sampson Air Force Base in the state of New York. He enlisted into the NC Army National Guard in 1956 and became the commanding officer of the 167^th Military Police Battalion. After serving 24 years, he was commissioned as a Lt Colonel. Lt Colonel Litchfield enlisted in the US Army Reserve serving 4 more years and retired as a Colonel.

Colonel Litchfield was employed by Moss Planning Mill in 1959 and retired upon the mill closing in 1992. He was a lifetime member of the Episcopal Church, a member of the NC National Guard Association, the NRA, the Pitt County Wildlife Club and the Beaufort County Law Enforcement Officers Association. His favorite past time was reading and he was a firm believer in the 2^nd Amendment.

The family would like to give a sincere thank you to Diane, Dinah, Marthelia and Clarine for giving all of their love and special care to ‘Mr. Willard’ every day they shared with him. God bless you ladies!

We would also like to thank Asera Care Hospice of Winterville, NC for all their nurses and CNA’s who served the family.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks for memorial contributions to be made to the Marion L. Shepard Cancer Center, 1209 Brown St, Washington, NC, 27889, the American Heart Association, 4217 Park Place Ct, Glen Allen, VA, 23060-9979 or the Soldiers and Airmen Assistance Fund, 7410 Chapel Hill Rd, Raleigh, NC 27607.

Paul Funeral Home & Crematory of Washington is honored to serve the Litchfield family.