vELLIOT continued from page 3 rank of Lieutenant Commander and retired honorably following 26 years of dedicated Naval Service. On one of his missions, J.D. helped rescue a missionary couple. Martin and Gracia Burnan served with New Tribes Mission in the Philippines. On May 27, 2001, while celebrating their 18th wedding anniversary, they were taken captive by a militant group of Muslims called the Abu Sayyaf Group. In her book, “In the Presence of My Enemies,” Gracia wrote about the search planes. Those planes were J.D. and his team flying overhead. J.D.’s sister Sandy recalled, “I met her and had her sign her book for J.D. When I gave it to him, he was so excited. He read it and shared it with his team,” Following his military career, J.D. worked as a Test Analyst for Wyle Laboratories in Dallas, continuing his service to the United States Navy as a systems matter expert for the test and acquisition of Naval airborne systems. J.D. enjoyed open pit master barbequing, camping, fly fishing, watching Kansas City Chiefs football and spending time with his nine grandchildren, Caden, Alexander, Landon, Ella, Emerson, Abram, MacCallum, Adalynn, and Abegail. “It never mattered how bad of a day J.D. was having with his cancer, every time one of his grandkids would walk in the door, his whole attitude would change and he would have the biggest smile on his face,” Penni said. “There were times I would catch him holding one of the grandkids when he wasn’t suppose to.” J.D.’s Family “J.D. was so proud of his three children, Justin; his twin daughters, Bridget and Christie, he just couldn’t say enough about them and how much they accomplished. He loved them so much,” Penni added. She remembers family vacations. “One of the things we would do when going on family trips is, J.D. would play a math game with the kids and a game to see how many different state license plates they could find. The kids loved that,” Penni said. Concerning camping, Penni remembers, “J.D. and I would fill up coolers of water balloons and have ice cold water balloon fights.” J.D. was active in the Boy Scouts, both as a boy and an adult. In Oak Harbor, Washington, and in Japan, he stayed active with the Boy Scouts until their son, Justin, made Eagle Scout. He also volunteered with the girl’s swim team, doing whatever they needed him to do. The family remembers J.D. having a wonderful sense of humor that was continually engaged. You would never know when a one-liner would be interjected into a situation. He could keep you in stitches for hours. There was always laughter being around J.D. Early in J.D.’s life, Grandpa Pete influenced J.D.’s life. One morning, the grandfather took J.D. to breakfast. The waitress was vELLIOT continued on page 5 J.D.’s Grandchildren 1981. A lawyer, a tax accountant and a financial advisor walk into a bar. Seriously. That was the start of a well-coordinated plan that’s still paying off in 2018. Managing wealth is no joke. And advice coordination is essential as wealth grows, and grows more complex. From thoughtfully planning for a long retirement to addressing unique needs, a Raymond James financial advisor can pull the pieces together to orchestrate a properly synched approach. LIFE WELL PLANNED. Bob Willcockson Investment Representative 225 Cedar Street, Yankton (605)665-4950 4vHISVOICEvJULY/AUGUST 2018 First Dakota Brokerage Services, Inc. A subsidiary of First Dakota National Bank. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC an independent broker/dealer. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC, and are not insured by any financial institution insurance, the FDIC/NCUA or any other government agency, are not deposits or obligations of the financial institution, are not guaranteed by the financial institution, and are subject to risks including the possible loss of principal. Raymond James is not affiliated with First Dakota National Bank and First Dakota Brokerage Services.