John Boling

Funeral services for John R. Boling, 80, of Cookeville will be held Thursday, May 31 at 12 noon at United Church of Cookeville, 502 Gould Dr, where Mr. Boling was a charter member. The Reverend Gene Skipworth will officiate, with the homily given by Melissa Boling, MDiv. Internment will follow in Crest Lawn Memorial Cemetery. Mr. Boling died Tuesday morning, May 22, 2012, at his home after a prolonged battle with cancer. He was born April 7, 1932, in Appleton City, Missouri to the late James Hallbert Boling and Jeanette Swiney Boling. He and his wife, the late JoAnn Fischer Boling, were married April 27, 1957, in Balboa, Canal Zone, where JoAnn"�s father was employed by the U.S. Government and where John was stationed in U.S. Army Intelligence. Mr. Boling separated from active duty in May 1957 and brought his new wife to Tennessee, where he completed his degree at Tennessee Tech (then TPI, where he first started in 1951). He continued to serve in the Army Reserve until 1962, when he was honorably discharged. He graduated from TPI in 1959 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration"�Industrial Management, with minors in Accounting and Electrical Engineering. During college, he was a member of the ROTC. He was employed for a number of years with architecture and engineering firms in Knoxville, Nashville, and Cookeville, before returning to TTU as an instructor in 1977. He earned a Master of Arts in Education from TTU in 1983, and served as an instructor in the College of Engineering until his retirement in 1996. He sang for many years in the Mastersingers and in the choir at First Presbyterian Church, where he was also an elder. After retirement, Mr. Boling worked actively with the Boy Scouts of America and chaired the Lions Club Kids"� Sight program for Putnam County for many years. He was awarded the Boy Scouts Silver Beaver award in 2009 for long term meritorious service to the organization; silver awards are the highest level of awards given to adult volunteers in the BSA. Mr. Boling also served for a number of years as a docent with the Cookeville Depot Museum and was active in his church and in the Tech Garden Club. He worked diligently in whatever capacity was required, always willing to step up to the plate, and gave up his activities only due to the deterioration of his health. He was a man who acted on his convictions and his emotions, rather than just talking about them, and we will be forever grateful for his quiet, unfailing support. Mr. Boling was preceded in death by his wife JoAnn, after 53 years of marriage. Survivors include two daughters and a son-in-law, Melissa "Missy"� Boling of Nashville, and Valerie & Jim Vesper of Maryville, TN; granddaughter, Rachel Vesper; and brother and sister-in-law, Maxon & Joan Boling of Knoxville. He also leaves an aunt and uncle, Katherine & Joe Leonard of Nashville; many cousins; nieces and nephews; close friends Joan & Handley Oswalt; and many other dear friends. Mr. Boling"�s family will receive friends Wednesday May 30th from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the Cookeville Chapel of Hooper-Huddleston & Horner Funeral Home, and Thursday from 11 a.m. until time of services at the church. Pallbearers will be family and friends. Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of your choice. The family extends heartfelt appreciation to the staff of Caris Hospice and Home Instead for their loving care during the last months.