Edwin C. "E.C." Bush, age 86, of Hoover, died Thursday morning, June 9, 2011.

He was born in Pinola, Mississippi to John and Julia Berry Bush. He graduated from Pinola High School. Three weeks after graduating from Mississippi College, E.C. joined the U.S. Navy and served on the hospital ship Tranquility as Corpsman and Pharmacist Mate. Mostly in the South Pacific, he picked up the wounded on the islands and took them to hospitals.

After his honorable discharge from the Navy, E.C. went to work for Southern Bell Telephone Co. in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and after one month, was transferred to Biloxi, Mississippi. In 1956, he was transferred to Jackson, Mississippi, working in the Engineering Dept. In 1968, he was transferred to Birmingham, where he worked until 1987, retiring from BellSouth with 37 years of service.

In retirement, he enjoyed fishing and gardening. E.C. was an assistant scoutmaster with Troop 21 for many years. He also was an assistant coach for the Girls Dixie Youth League softball team. E.C. was a long-time member of Shades Mountain Baptist Church and the Love, Care and Serve Sunday School Class. He made nine mission trips with the Mountain Top Builders.

Survivors include E.C.'s wife, Betty Joe Dow Bush; one son, Edwin C. Bush Jr. (Amy) of Navarre, Florida; one daughter, Stacy Bush Herring (John) of Birmingham; and twin sister, Kathleen Bush Stovall (Joe) of Raymond, Mississippi. E.C. is also survived by five grandchildren, Drew Herring, Mallory Herring, Julia Bush, Will Bush, and Tyler Bush; and many nieces and nephews.

Visitation, 2-3 p.m., Saturday, June 11, 2011, Ridout's Southern Heritage Funeral Home, Pelham. Funeral service will be the same day at 3 p.m. in Southern Heritage Chapel, burial to follow in Southern Heritage Cemetery, Pelham.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Shades Mountain Baptist Church, 2017 Columbiana Rd., Birmingham, AL 35216, or the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Published by The Birmingham News, Birmingham, Alabama, June 10, 2011