Buford Whitley

Buford Wayne Whitley, 78 years of age, of Oakboro, passed away Saturday, January 17, 2015, at Carolinas Medical Center-NorthEast in Concord, surrounded by his loving family.

Buford was born September 4, 1936 in Stanly County, North Carolina, to the late James Daniel Whitley and the late Sarah Eleanor Huneycutt Whitley. He was also preceded in death by four brothers, Loys, Thurman, Cleatus and James Whitley, and three sisters, Stella Johnson, Mildred Furr, and Jewel Purser.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, Tuesday, January 20, 2015 at Hartsell Funeral Home of Albemarle. The funeral service will be on Wednesday at 1:00 pm, following a 30 minute state, at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Oakboro, officiated by Dr. Wayne Bennett. Burial will follow at the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Cemetery, 17236 Frog Pond Road, Oakboro.

Survivors include his loving wife of 54 years, Joann Whitley, of the home; daughters, Tracy W. (Tommy) Smith of Mt. Gilead and Robin Whitley of Sylva; grandson, Blake (Chelsea) Williams of Oakboro; granddaughter, Hailey (Brandon) Davis of Albemarle; step great grandchildren, Kirsten Davis and Carly Cassels; sisters, Madge Whitley of Albemarle, Betty Almond of Locust, and Patricia Whitley of Richfield; and a large family of nieces and nephews.

Buford attended barber college in Winston-Salem and first worked in Charlotte where he eventually had his own shop before returning to Oakboro in 1977 to open Buford's Barber Shop. He thoroughly enjoyed his customers and thought of them as his friends as well. He loved gardening and sharing his harvest with friends and neighbors. He also loved classic cars, attending car shows and tinkering with old cars. He particularly enjoyed having breakfast at the grill each morning with his friends and catching up on the latest news of the day. However, his most favorite activity was spending time with his family and he cherished each and every moment he had with them. He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle and was much loved by them all.

Buford was a lifelong member of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Oakboro where he was a member of the Men's Friendship Class. In his younger years, Buford thoroughly enjoyed singing in the church choir.

Memorials may be made to Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Building Fund, 17236 Frog Pond Road, Oakboro, NC 28129.

Hartsell Funeral Home of Albemarle is serving the Whitley family.

Online condolences may be made at www.hartsellfh.com