Welborn "Ned" O. Darden, Jr., 73, of Milton, Florida, passed away Thursday, November 30, 2017, surrounded by his loving family. Ned was born in Murphy, North Carolina, on June 24, 1944, and was the only child of Mary Pauline Boone and Welborn "Buck" O. Darden, Sr., both of whom preceded him in death. Ned graduated as salutatorian from Hogansville High School in Hogansville, Georgia, in 1962, and from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1967, with a degree in Aerospace Engineering, where he was a member of Delta Sigma Phi fraternity, a Ramblin' Wreck, and a hell of an engineer. On December 16, 1967, he married Melba Ann Whigham. Ned proudly served as an officer in the United States Navy until 1976, where he was a pilot and flight instructor, and earned several commendations for his service in Vietnam. Ever the student, he went on to earn three more degrees, including an MBA, from the University of West Florida, and eventually retired following a long career as an accountant. Ned volunteered countless hours of service with the Boy Scouts, serving many years with local Troup 451 and the Gulf Coast Council as a Scout Master, Committee Chair, and member of many Eagle Boards, and was both a friend and mentor to many young men who grew up in scouting under his leadership. Ned was an avid reader, a trivia buff, a whiz in the kitchen (his cheese straws will be dearly missed), a lover of music, and he never met a pun that he didn't enjoy. Ned and Melba would have celebrated 50 years of marriage this December and have been a shining example of love for their friends and family. Ned is survived by his wife, Melba of Milton, Florida; his daughter, Heather Lyn Darden of Atlanta, Georgia; his son, Andrew Boone Darden and his wife Desirae of Atlanta, Georgia; and his grandson, Liam. Funeral Services will be held at 5:00 p.m., Sunday, December 3, 2017, at First United Methodist Church of Milton, Florida. Visitation will be held 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., prior to the service. The family requests memorial donations be made, in Ned’s name, to the Gulf Coast Council of the Boy Scouts of America. DONATIONS BY MAIL: Gulf Coast Council 9440 University Pkwy Pensacola, FL 32514 BY PHONE: 850-476-6336 GIVE ONLINE: www.gulfcoastcouncil.org