Franklin Barkley, Sr. February 26, 2010

GASTONIA – Julius Franklin Barkley Sr., 91, formerly of Lincolnton, passed away February 26, 2010 at the Robin Johnson House.
He was a native of Lincolnton, North Carolina, but had recently resided at Terrace Ridge Assisted Living in Gastonia.
He was the son of the late Franklin Pressley Barkley and Mary May Zettie Carpenter Barkley of Lincolnton. He served in the 118th Infantry Army Band during World War II. When the plane of famed jazz musician Glenn Miller – director of the Glenn Miller Orchestra – was shot down over the English Channel in 1944, the 118th Infantry performed in place of the orchestra. Upon returning from Europe, Barkley played with the 1950’s dance band “Rhythm Masters.” He was a life-long member of the First United Methodist Church of Lincolnton.
Survivors include his wife of 64 years, Margaret Louise Barkley; children Julius Barkley of Gastonia and Linda Barkley Hoyle of Lincolnton; daughter-in-law Karen Barkley of Gastonia; grandchildren Jackson, Mckenzie, and Kendall Barkley of Gastonia; Jennifer and Michael Hoyle of Lincolnton; and Whitney Barkley of Jackson, MS.
He was preceded in death by his brother, Kenneth Harding Barkley, of Lincolnton.
Funeral services will held at 3pm Tuesday at the First United Methodist Church of Lincolnton, with the Rev. Dr. Michael Gehring officiating. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the Church. Interment will follow at Forest Lawn cemetery in Lincolnton, NC.
Pallbearers will be his grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Robin Johnson House, C/O Gaston Hospice, PO Box 3984, Gastonia, NC 28054.