Chancie L. "Rudy" Pylant - Kennett

Chancie L. "Rudy" Pylant, 82, of Kennett, a radio personality in Northeast Arkansas and southeast Missouri, died at his home Sunday, Dec. 7, 2003.

He was born near Leachville and was a 1939 graduate of Cardwell High School. An Army Veteran of World War II, he served in the South Pacific. After the war he took his first job in broadcasting at WLOF in Orlando, Fla., and moved back to Arkansas in 1947 and worked at KBTM in Jonesboro. The next year he moved to Kennett where he worked at KBOA and most recently at KOTC. He worked in radio for more than 55 years.

Over the years he owned and operated several radio stations and co-founded the Walker and Associates Advertising Agency in Memphis with the late DeLoss Walker.

Survivors include a daughter, Pam Pylant Bankston of Mountain Brook, Ala.; three sons, Jeff Pylant of Naples, Fla., Dave Pylant of Columbus, Kansas, and Matt Pylant of New York City; a stepson, Will Sexton of Dallas; a stepdaughter, Camille Sexton Lockhart of Springfield, Mo.; a sister, Billie Fern Garver of Leachville; three brothers, Jack Pylant of Iuka, Miss., Ira Plylant of Memphis and Ted Pylant of Jonesboro; and two grandsons, David Bankston and Chris Bankston, both of Alabama.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Chancie Everett and Macey Elizabeth Pylant; his wife, Bernice Davis Pylant; and a brother.

The funeral was held at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Pentecostal Church in Kennett. Private burial services will be conducted under the direction of McDaniel Funeral Service of Kennett.

The family requests anyone wishing to leave a lasting memorial consider The National World War II Memorial, 2300 Clarendon Blvd. Suite 501, Arlington, Va., 22201 or the Rudy Pylant Charitable Foundation at Kennett National Bank.