Orval Crawley

Orval A. Crawley, age 83, resident of Charleston, passed away Tuesday, October 31, 2006. He was very well known and loved in the Charleston community and known to many as "Papaw" or "Mr. Orval". He was a member of the Charleston First Baptist Church for 58 years where he taught the Senior Men?s Sunday School Class, was active in the choir and served as a deacon for 43 years. He served as the second mayor of Charleston from 1971-1978. During his tenure as mayor he helped in the organization of the Charleston Volunteer Fire Department. He was inducted into the Bradley County Agriculture Hall of Fame in 2001. He was a charter member of the Charleston Ruritan Club,recently having been recognized as the longest active member and was to receive the Ruritan of the Year Award in December 2006. He retired from Charleston Hardware and Builders after 31 years of service. He was a veteran of the United States Navy serving as a "Seabee" in World War II in the Pacific. He was born and reared on a farm in Sale Creek, Tennessee to the late Drewia and Nola Jordan Crawley. He was also preceded in death by his wife of 52 years, Ruby Atkerson Crawley; two granddaughters, Stephanie Jane Presley and Laura Jane Ables. He is survived by three daughters and sons-in-law: Charlotte and John Dodson of Cleveland, Doris and Jerry Ables of Sale Creek and Jane and Perry Presley of Charleston; seven grandchildren: Andy and Debra Dodson, Angie and Ray Stephens, Kim Ledford, Jerry Anne and Todd Nease, Carrie and Tommy Huskey, Steven and Cassie Presley and Mandy Gregory; great-grandchildren: Cory Dodson, Haleigh Sweeney, Rachel, Rebekah and Reagan Stephens, Brittany, Abby, Will Ledford, Cody, Tucker and Laurabeth Nease, Landon and Drew Huskey, Jake and Jaxon Presley and Ben Gregory; two great-great grandchildren, Spane Thomas and Maddux Sweeney; brothers, Broyles Crawley of Knoxville and Thomas Crawley of Sale Creek; special friend, Lois Maynard of Athens; several nieces and nephews also survive. Funeral services will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. Friday in the chapel of Ralph Buckner Funeral Home with Reverend William T. Spencer officiating. Interment will follow in Sunset Memorial Gardens with military honors and the white dove release ceremony. Perry Presley, John Dodson, Jerry Ables, Blake Johnson, Todd Nease, Andy Dodson, Steven Presley, Tommy Huskey and Cory Dodson will serve as pallbearers. His family will receive friends from 3-8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to the Charleston First Baptist Church Building Fund or the Lake Drive Baptist Church in Sale Creek.