BEYA Winner and Decorated Army General Dies at 86

Lieutenant General (LTG) and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence, Emmett Paige, 86, died peacefully in his Fort Washington, MD home on August 31, 2017.

He is survived by daughter Sandra Alexander; two sons, Anthony Paige and Micheal Davis (Denise); grandchildren, Marquies (Sara), Tia, James, Lauren, Cory, Antonio, Cara (Ross) and Mackenzie; four great-grandchildren, Jaida, Miles, Jordin and Liam; sister, Alzeta Wilson; 10 nieces and nephews, a host of other relatives and friends. He is preceded in death by his wife, Gloria.

LTG Paige will lie in state at Ebenezer AME Church, 7707 Allentown Rd, Fort Washington, MD on September 20, 2017, from 9 A.M. until services at 11 A.M.

Funeral arrangements are provided by the Steward Funeral Home, Inc.

In lieu of flowers, which may be sent to 4001 Benning Road, NE, Washington, D.C. 20019, donations can be sent to the Northern Virginia Urban League (NVUL) on behalf of the LTG Emmett Paige Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Scholarship.

Order of Service

Rev. Dr. Grainger Browning, Jr. Senior Pastor Prelude…………………………………………………………………Instrumentalist Processional……………………………………………………….Clergy Hymn of Rejoicing……………”When We All Get to Heaven”…………Choir Invocation…………………………………Rev. Dr. Grainer Browning, Jr. Senior Pastor Scripture Readings Old Testament: ……….Psalm 46……………………Rev. Stephen Artis New Testament: ………1 Corinthians 15: 51-58…Rev. Dr. Barbara Ridley Prayer of Comfort…………………………….……………… Reverend James Graham Musical Selection…………………”Lord’s Prayer”…….……….. Karl Medley Acknowledgement /Condolences…………………………………………...Jackie Hunt Reflection(s) Former Secretary of the Army Honorable Togo West General Dennis Via LTG Peter A. Kind (1st Signal Brigade Association, Signal Officers Wives Club) MG (R) Robert L. Nabors Musical Selection……………”Amazing Grace”……………… Brian Lenair Reflection (s) BG (R) Velma Richardson BG (R) Earl M. Simms (The ROCKS) Family Reflection (s) Musical Selection……”Don't Feel No Ways Tired”………… Brian Lenair Obituary/Eulogy……………………Matthew A. Zimmerman Chaplain (MG – Ret), USA Hymn of Rejoicing…………………”Walk Around Heaven”……………………. Choir Benediction…………………………………Rev. Dr. Grainer Browning, Jr. Senior Pastor Recessional………………………………………………….. Brian Lenair

Repast Immediately following the Service Ebenezer A.M.E. Church-Third Floor- Fellowship Hall

The life and times of Lt. Gen. Emmett Paige, Jr.

When 16-year-old Emmett Paige, Jr. dropped out of high school in 1947 to enlist in the Army, he had little inkling that he would begin a career of military service that would span over 41 years.

After spending five years as an enlisted man and non-commissioned officer (NCO), Paige, who would rise to the rank of lieutenant general, was accepted to and completed the Signal Corps Officers’ Candidate School.

In 1952, he was commissioned a second lieutenant.

He served in various Signal units over the years, including the 40th and 41st Signal Construction Battalions and the 9th Signal Battalion. Serving with the 57th Signal Company in Yongsan, Korea, he had responsibility for all fixed plant communications serving the United Nations Command, U.S. Forces Korea, and the Eighth Army.

During the Vietnam War, he commanded the 361st Signal Battalion in Vietnam and the 11th Signal Group based at Fort Huachuca, Arizona.

General Paige went on to serve two tours with the Defense Communications Agency; commanded the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Engineering and Installation Agency at Fort Huachuca, the Army’s Communications Systems Agency and Communications Research and Development Command at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey; the Army’s Electronics Research and Development Command, Adelphi, Maryland; and the Army Information Systems Command at Fort Huachuca.

Following his retirement in 1988, General Paige became President and Chief Operating Officer of OAO Corporation, an aerospace and information Systems Company in Greenbelt, Maryland. He was "recalled" to active duty in 1993, when he was confirmed by the Senate as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence. He served in this post until 1997, when he returned to OAO.

Among General Paige’s awards and decorations is the Distinguished Service Medal with oak-leaf cluster.

Other awards include the Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters; a Bronze Star; and the Meritorious Service Medal. He was inducted by the Signal Regiment as a Distinguished Member in 1990, along with his appointment as Honorary Colonel of the Regiment.

General Paige is also the recipient of InformationWeek magazine’s 1987 “Chief Information Officer of the Year” award; the Armed forces Communications-Electronics Association’s Distinguished Service Medal in 1988; a Rock of the Year award in 1992, the Data Processing Management Association’s Distinguished Information Sciences Award; the University of Maryland/Baltimore County’s Engineer of the Year, the 1995 BEYA Lifetime Achievement Award; Communications Week magazine’s Visionary Award of the Year in 1996; and the Boy Scouts of America’s Silver Beaver Award for Distinguished Service to Youth in 1997.

He served as a member of University of Maryland University College's Leadership Circle, National Association of Corporate Directors, National Science Center, and the University System of Maryland Foundation. Paige also served on numerous boards of directors and boards of advisors for corporate and academic organizations.