Byrl William Whitehead, 91, of Roan Mountain, went to be with our Lord on Sunday, November 8, 2015.
Byrl was born December 16, 1923 in Carter County, Tenn., one of the children of the late Dayton and Mollie Ingram Whitehead.
Byrl retired from truck and auto mechanic work in Detroit, Mich., but continued to work for many years upon his return to his beloved East Tennessee Mountains.
Byrl was a member of Sunset Freewill Baptist Church but attended Little Mountain Baptist Church with his family. He taught Sunday School at both churches when he was younger. He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army. He was a past master of the Masonic Lodge No. 566 in Roan Mountain. He enjoyed traveling, camping and hunting.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one daughter, Vivian SherryE Reine; four brothers, Lawrence, Gene, Vernon and Darrell Whitehead; and four sisters, Lola Butler, Voretta Hill, Ruth Hill and infant Joyce Whitehead.
Survivors include his wife of 68 years, June Odom Whitehead, and one daughter, Yvonne Whitehead, of the home; son-in-law, Tom Reine and his wife Vanessa; two grandchildren, Beth Reine of Michigan and Brett Reine of North Carolina; six great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren; two sisters, Gearldine Arney, Elizabethton, and Peggy Whitehead of North Carolina; and one brother, Brady Lee Whitehead of Virginia.
Visitation for Byrl Whitehead will be conducted at noon Saturday, November 14, and the funeral will follow at 2 p.m. at Memorial Funeral Chapel in Elizabethton. Mr. Raymond Hill will be officiating with Yvonne Whitehead giving a eulogy. The graveside service and interment will be immediately following the funeral with Pastor Derrick Hughes, of Little Mountain Baptist Church, at Happy Valley Memorial Park. Active pallbearers are Nicky Whitehead, Brett Reine, Thomas Holloway, Verlin Stevens, Michael Johnson and Troy Whitehead. Honorary pallbearers are J.L. Holtsclaw, Edward Johnson, Estel Whitehead, Tom Reine, Billy Whitehead, Robbie Whitehead, Darren Lacy, Delaney Berry, members of Little Mountain Baptist Church, members of Sunset Freewill Baptist Church and The Praying Mountain Men. The family will receive friends at the family home anytime. Condolences may be sent to the family at our website: www.memorialfcelizabethton.com .
Memorial Funeral Chapel is serving the Whitehead family.