Jeanetta Marie Ditto Loyall

July 13, 1927 – June 29, 2022

Our dear aunt passed away just days before her 95th birthday. She lived a life of joy, strength, and curiosity. Her humor and genuine interest in people will be missed by her family and many friends from Sandestin, the Community Church, her bridge club and Brookdale Destin.

She grew up on a 500 acre farm in Vine Grove, Kentucky. Jeanetta was the oldest of 4 sisters, born to Russell Henry Ditto and Frances Rose Myrtle Craycroft Ditto. Upon graduating high school, she enlisted in the World War II Army Cadet Nursing Corps. The war ended as she started her training at the Nazareth School of Nursing in Louisville, Ky. In 1948, having earned her RN degree, Jeanetta was assigned to the Kennedy VA Hospital, Memphis, TN.

There she met the love of her life, John W. Loyall. He was a patient, having suffered a spinal cord injury in the battle of Iwo Jima. They married in 1949, and though John was in a wheelchair, it didn’t slow them down. Using their positive attitude and independent spirit, they traveled extensively, settling in Destin, FL in 1977. They shared almost 50 years of adventures, before John passed in 2000.

Jeanetta continued to fill her life with family, friends and travel, including cruising Canada and the Mediterranean. She volunteered at the Sacred Heart Hospital ER, various charities and as an ambassador at Brookdale.

Jeanetta was preceded in death by her 3 sisters, Marion Russell Osborne, Mary Ellen Cox and Charlotte Virginia Harbach. She was also preceded in death by a nephew, John Woody Cox.
She is survived by a brother-in-law, David Vincent Harbach, 10 nieces and nephews, 21 great nieces and nephews, and 7 great-great nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life service will be held Wednesday, July 13th at 10:00 am, at the Community Church of Santa Rosa Beach, 3524 US Hwy. 98 W., Santa Rosa, FL 32459. A reception will follow in the Church Fellowship Hall. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Community Church (via mail to P.O. Box 1723, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 or online at give.srbcc.com) or Disabled Veterans of America (online at dav.org).