Donald Clifton Alley

-Donald (Don) Clifton Alley of Clarksville, following 85 years of life created by God and spent learning of His love, was received by his faith in and submission to the mercy and grace of His Lord Jesus Christ into new life and peace in Him on Sunday, November 12, at his home. He was preceded in death by his parents, Peter Stewart Alley and Rosetta Rice Alley of Greensboro, NC, his wife and love of his life for 63 years, Wilda Jane Russell Alley of Hazel, KY, and by his brother Joseph Stewart Alley of Raleigh, NC. He is survived by his brother Alvis Alley and wife Linda of Ocean Isle, NC, his sister Carolyn Alley Autry of Greensboro, NC, his daughter Kim Alley Burke and son-in-law Joe Burke of Nashville, his son Donald Clifton Alley, Jr. and daughter-in-law Amy Wood Alley of Clarksville, grandchildren Rebekah Burke, Luke Burke, David Greider, Shane Greider, Tony Greider, and Hannah Stomley, great granddaughter Anastasia Nkwembe, and six nieces, three nephews, and other treasured relatives, friends and neighbors

Mr. Alley was born August 20, 1938, in Greensboro, NC, where he and his family were active members of the Shannon Hills Bible Chapel of Greensboro. He showed leadership skills beginning at age 12 with his first job of delivering Mother's Day corsages for a Greensboro florist. In high school, he had a newspaper route and drove a school bus at age 16. He was the drum major of his high school marching band at Jamestown High School in Jamestown, NC, where he graduated. Following graduation from high school, Mr. Alley enlisted in the United States Army with the 101st Airborne with the rank of SSG and received the Army Commendation Medal. Following his service with the 101st Airborne as a paratrooper and while attending Murray State University in Murray, KY, he also joined the 398 Regiment, Company M of the 100th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army Reserve. The group was known as the "Century Men" or "Century Division" and were deployed to prepare the base at Fort Chaffee, AR, in three weeks time for the training of 32,000 soldiers involved in the Berlin Crisis.

When Mr. Alley completed his military service, his career included serving the following companies as supervisor, personnel director or Human Resources Manager: the Tappan Plant of Murray, KY; Emerson Electric of Russellville, KY, Speed Queen of Madisonville, KY and Sercy, AR; Raytheon of Bristol, TN; and Convergys of Clarksville. He was a former member of Civitan, Workforce Development, and the Lions Club. He also was a former deacon and achieved a private pilot's license.

He enjoyed laughing, driving, sharing stories, learning, traveling, speaking with all age groups, and giving to and encouraging others. He was proud of the Screaming Eagles and his time with them. He was not a perfect man but he was perfectly wonderful to many. He loved fiercely and lived bravely.

His family wishes to thank all those who have blessed him and shared him with them through the years of his life and gratefully acknowledges the friendship and care given to him by Dr. David Allen.

Visitation for the family of Mr. Alley will be Thursday, November 16, 2023  from 1:30-2:00 p.m. at Neal-Tarpley-Parchman Funeral Home in Clarksville Thursday with public visitation beginning at 2:00 p.m. until the time of the funeral service at 5:00 p.m. with Bro. Roger Powell officiating.  Internment Service will be held Friday at 1:00 PM at Kentucky Veterans Cemetery

West, in Hopkinsville.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions designated for tuition scholarships for students through Friends of the Academy of Bible Baptist Church in Clarksville, where he was a member.