Hewitt William Powell

Obituary For Hewitt William Powell

Command Sergeant Major (Retired) Hewitt William Powell was born May 10, 1932, in Mer Rouge, Louisiana to the late Reverend Frank Powell and Marie Ivory Powell. Hewitt was the third child of four children. His family moved to Hope, Arkansas in 1950, where he attended Yeager High School.

Hewitt was formerly married to Dorothy Thorns Powell. They were the parents of Ken and Pervis Powell.

He married Anna Hall Powell in 1969 and together they raised their son, Destry Powell. Ann and Destry preceded Hewitt in death.

Hewitt entered the U.S. Army in November 1952. He was a graduate of the renowned Seventh U.S. Army Noncommissioned Officers Academy. During his distinguished military career, Hewitt held numerous leadership positions of increasing responsibilities while advancing to the rank of Command Sergeant Major. He served 3 combat tours in Vietnam and completed several overseas deployments including France, Germany and South Korea. Hewitt received numerous military awards and honors including the Legion of Merit. Bronze Star Medal with First Oak Leaf Cluster, and Meritorious Service Medal. His final assignment was with the 2nd Signal Training Brigade at Fort Gordon, GA. Hewitt retired from the U.S. Army in November 1982 and continued to reside in the Fort Gordon area.

After retirement from the military, he served in security and protection services for a number of organizations. He worked for the State of Georgia Correction Facility in Augusta as a Corrections Officer for four years and later at the Wackenhut Security Service, Department of Energy, Nuclear Weapons in Jackson, South Carolina. During this period, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from Voorhees College in Denmark, South Carolina. Later, he was employed by none other than James Brown (the Godfather of Soul) serving as part of a security detail on Mr. Brown's estate in Beach Island, SC. He also worked as a security officer at the Georgia Veterans Nursing Home for Disabled Veterans in Augusta, GA.

Hewitt believed deeply in family togetherness and the preservation of their family history. Each year at Thanksgiving, Hewitt and his sister Annie Marie organized and hosted a family reunion in Bastrop, Louisiana. An important part of this tradition was visiting Mer Rouge, LA, the birthplace of he and his siblings. The family visited several places of the family's historical interest. The final leg of the visit was the Hill Top Cemetery where many of their deceased relatives were laid to rest. It was at this solemn place the family would gather around Hewitt, the family’s "griot." He would share stories of the family's history surrounded by their ancestors. It was always a beautiful and sentimental occasion.

Hewitt will be remembered for his effective leadership, generous spirit that touched countless lives, a champion for veterans' rights, his mentorship of men and women, and for his dynamic and artful storytelling.

He was preceded in death by his beloved parents, his sisters: Virt Lee, Annie Marie, and Alma; his daughter Marian and son, Destry. Hewitt is survived by his two sons, Kenney (Anita) Lees Summit, Missouri, Pervis (Roslyn) of Kansas City, Missouri, and Stepdaughter Cyndie Cheatham (Derek) of Atlanta, GA, and his special niece/daughter Sharon Powell. He is also survived by ten grandchildren and leaves to grieve a host of great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Hewitt William Powell entered into rest Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, November 20, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Kinsey & Walton Funeral Home Chapel, 3618 Peach Orchard Road, Augusta, Georgia 30906.

Family will receive friends one hour prior to service from 10:00 a.m. until the hour of service.

Interment will be in Bellevue Memorial Gardens, 4501 Wrightsboro Road, Grovetown, Georgia 30813 with full military honors.

Kinsey & Walton Funeral Home, 3618 Peach Orchard Road, Augusta, Georgia 30906 (706)790-8858.

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