Gene Pinkley

Memorial services for Mr. Vernon Eugene (Gene) Pinkley, 91 of Cookeville will be held at 7 pm Friday August 15 in the Cookeville Chapel of Hooper Huddleston & Horner Funeral Home with Dr. Charles McCaskey and Rev. Christian Smith officiating. Private interment will be at a later date in the Shipley Cemetery. The family will receive friends Friday from 3:30pm until service time at the funeral home. Mr. Pinkley died Monday evening, August 11, 2014 at his home. He was born December 21, 1922 in Flat River, MO to the late Everett and Lorene Pearson Pinkley. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, Bobby Pinkley and sister, Nadine McCallister. Mr. Pinkley was a member of Cookeville First Cumberland Presbyterian Church. He was a US Army veteran of WWII, where he served in the China, Burma, India (CBI) campaign. He was a lifelong member of the American Legion and VFW Post 6277. He served for a number of years in the Veteran Honor Guard participating in hundreds of military funerals. Mr. Pinkley graduated from Flat River High School and then began military service. Following military service he received his Bachelor's degree from Tennessee Polytechnic University (TTU) in 1952. He worked for the State of Tennessee in various capacities in social work including, regional director of child welfare and he contributed to writing the Medicaid Manual. Mr. Pinkley enjoyed spending time with his family and was an avid fisherman and hunter. He is survived by his wife of nine years, Carolyn Julian Pinkley (whom he married May 8, 2006 in Gatlinburg, TN); two sons, Ronald Pinkley of Cookeville, Vernon Jr. and wife Norita Pinkley of Lebanon, TN; step daughter and son-in-law, Shannon and Shane Phillips of Cookeville; sister, Wilma Moiser of Farmington, MO; seven grandchildren, Bram, Tyson, Josh, Eric, and Amber Pinkley, Emily and Amanda Phillips; six great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. Memorial contributions may be made to Cookeville First Cumberland Presbyterian Church Building Fund 565 East 10th Street Cookeville, TN 38501 or Tennessee Oncology, 300 Steamplant Road,Suite 230 Gallatin, TN 37066