WOODVILLE – Services for Milton Frank D’Aquila, who died Monday, July 13, 2009, at his daughter’s residence, will be at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Joseph Catholic Church with the Rev. Pat Smith and the Rev. Walter Brown officiating.
Burial will follow at Evergreen Cemetery under the direction of Newman Funeral Home.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home and from 9 a.m. until service time Friday at the church.
Mr. D’Aquila was born Nov. 21, 1915, at High Point in Wilkinson County, the son of Sam and Adelina Agnes Esher D’Aquila.
He was a long-time co-owner and operator of Super Service Station and D’Aquila Oil Company of Woodville. He lived in Summit in his younger years returning to High Point in Wilkinson County. Mr. D’Aquila stayed in the Wilkinson County Agricultural High School dormitory earning his board by milking the school’s cows twice a day. He played football and excelled in boxing being undefeated in his class. Following graduation in 1934, he lived with the Dick Rosso family while working at their family business, Centreville Bottling Company.
As a young man, he loved to dancing and enjoyed many hours dancing to the Bud Scott Band when they performed in the area. He opened Super Service Station in 1940 with his brother, Carl. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and was stationed at Hickam Field in Honolulu, Hawaii as a clerk/payroll typist. In 1946, Mr. D’Aquila re-opened Super Service Station at the current location on Main Street. In 1951, they expanded the business to include bulk fuel distribution to area farmers and businesses with D’Aquila Oil Company. Gas was sold under the brands of Texaco Star, Sinclair, ARCO and finally Placid. Mr. D’Aquila served several terms as a colonel in the organization of Mississippi Governor John Bell Williams. He was a long-time member of the Republican Party.
While raising his daughter, Kay, they enjoyed time together, squirrel hunting and fly fishing, on his days off. His work ethic being a valuable quality to him, he very seldom missed a day at work and passed his work ethic to his stepson who began working at the station while in junior high school. Mr. D’Aquila worked until the last 10 days of his life.
Mr. D’Aquila was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Laura Chisholm; his second wife of 49 years, Adris Flowers Morris D’Aquila; three brothers, Sylvester John, Vincent Joseph “Joe” and Carl Esher D’Aquila.
Survivors include his daughter, Sarah Katherine “Kay” D’Aquila Smith of Woodville; step-son, William “Willie” Vandy Morris III and wife, Leslie, both of Flowood; three grandchildren, Carrol Milton “C.M.” Smith of Baton Rouge, Laci Shaw Morris Walker of Oxford and Sarah Beth Morris of Flowood; three sisters, Sarah Katherine “Kat” Plitt of Woodville, Alta Stutzman of St. Francisville and Maria Adelina “Nuffie” Gonda of Woodville; and a number of nephews, nieces and cousins.
Pallbearers will be Louis D’Aquila, Jim Graves, Charles McGraw, Overton Nicholas, Tyler Walker and David Wilkerson.
Honorary pallbearers will be Dr. L.J. Owens, Sam Rosso, C.L. Thompson, John Rowe Carter, James Vines, Claude Penn and Steve Cheramine.
Memorials may be made to St. Jude Hospital, Memphis, Tenn. or the Alzheimer’s Association.