Geral Don Hurley

Geral Don Hurley, 72 of Tilly, passed away December 25, 2010, at Baptist Medical Center in Little Rock. At age 24, he accepted Christ as his Savior and joined the Tilly Missionary Baptist Church (TMBC). He loved to sing and had the most beautiful of bass voices. He loved gardening, hunting, fishing, baseball, basketball, and watching Karson, Parker, & Paige Lee play ball. After high school, he signed with the Saint Louis Cardinals to play baseball in the minor leagues. During his second season, a knee injury prevented him from continuing to play. Mr. Hurley served in the Arkansas National Guard and was certified for High Marksman for his unit. He worked at Bridgestone/Firestone for 33 years and after retirement in 1998, worked at Fountain's Grocery in Tilly where he was co-owner. Mr. Hurley is survived by his wife of 53 years, Marilyn, they would have been married 54 years on December 29th; one brother, Burl Hurley and his wife Ruby; two sisters, Loraine Reed and Margie Brannon and her husband Dwight; sister-in-law Charlene Fountain; special nieces and caregivers Hayley Tester and her husband William; Ashley Lee and her husband Brent; many other nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Very special to Geral was William Tester who gardened with him, loved and encouraged him and was an excellent caregiver; Leah Adney and Hayden Tester, who loved him dearly, sharing their daily lives with him and called him dad. He was proceeded in death by his parents, Joe and Nola Hurley; an infant brother; his father and mother-in-law Alfred and Avis Fountain; two brothers-in-law, LC Reed and Charles Fountain. Special thanks are given to; the nurses and staff on 10A Oncology of Baptist Health Medical Center at Little Rock, among those; Allison, Karen, Holli, Lynda, Christina, Henry, and Jessica. They along with others provided excellent care and compassion during his time at the hospital. Thank you Dr. Rhonda Gentry, Hematology/Oncology, and your nurses Jan and Cathy, for the loving care you gave Geral. Thank you Dr. Mark Dyer, Amanda, and staff along with Dr. Bryan Imamura and the staff of CARTI in Conway. Visitation is Wednesday, December 29th, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the TMBC. Funeral services are Thursday, December 30th, 10 am at the TMBC. Services are provided by Humphrey Funeral Service. Burial will follow at the Union Hill cemetery at Tilly. Speakers at the service are Bro. Nathan Ferguson, pastor of TMBC, and James Fountain. Pallbearers are: William Tester, James Fountain, Milburn Small, Eulan Godfrey, Gerald Ray Fountain, Russell Fountain, and Johnny Dare. Honorary pallbearers: Ray Fountain, Todd Fountain, Greg Housley, Wayne Reed, Randy Eakin, Brent Lee, Travis Brown, Hollis McEntire, and DL Warren.