Winston Faulkner

WINSTON FAULKNER of Little Rock, 88, passed away April 3, 2014. He was born in Harrison on Dec. 16, 1925 to Reverend Everett Winston Faulkner and Cornelia Ann Jones Faulkner. Raised as the son of a Methodist minister, Winston attended school in Paris, Morrilton and Batesville before graduating from Dardanelle High School. He joined the United States Navy in the V12 Officers Training Program, during which time he attended Arkansas Tech University, University of Oklahoma, and was commissioned an ensign at Columbia University. Winston served his country in the South Pacific Theater at Guam, Saipan, Truk Atoll and the Caroline Islands. He was discharged from the Navy in 1946. He returned to Arkansas and attended Hendrix College, where he earned all-conference honors as a football player, served as president of the student body, and won the heart of his college sweetheart, Martha Love. He earned his Bachelors of Arts degree in 1948, and went on to earn his Master's degree from University of Iowa in 1950. In 1974, Winston was named Outstanding Alumni of Hendrix College. He and Martha were married in 1950. They made their home in Little Rock, where Winston coached at Pulaski Heights Junior High School for two years before joining the coaching staff at Little Rock Central High School until 1956. His passion for helping young people was born. He went on to serve as activities director at First United Methodist Church in Little Rock for several years before a growing family led him to pursue a career with investment firm TJ Raney & Sons, later to become Morgan Keegan. Winston finished a career spanning more than 50 years at Crews & Associates. But his life in the investment world did not temper his passion for coaching. Winston was very active in the Junior Deputy baseball program during its early years, and was volunteer basketball coach at the Little Rock Boys Club. He served on the Little Rock Water Works Commission for years, and upon his retirement, the street in front of the Junior Deputy baseball fields was renamed Winston Faulkner Drive in his honor. A lifelong Methodist, Winston was a member of First UMC in Little Rock for 63 years. He served on a number of committees at the local and conference levels, was an active member of the United Methodist Foundation of Arkansas from its beginning, and his Sunday school class was named the Winston Faulkner Sunday School class in his honor. Winston's passions in life were too numerous to name, but topping that list were his church, his family, Hendrix College and the Razorbacks. He will be missed by many, but forgotten by none. Winston is preceded in death by his parents; brother, James Paul Faulkner; sisters, Mary Overstreet and Ruth Paine. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Martha; his son, James Winston (Ceile) of Little Rock; daughters, Mary Ann Jackson (Billy) of Searcy, Susan Tynes of Fairfield Bay, Dee Nicholson of Frisco, Texas; grandchildren, Will Faulkner (Bailey), Lizzy Chandler (Chris), Mary Margaret Morrissey (Aaron), Martha Poe (Brian), Ben Jackson (Ashley), Hannah Jennings (Brent), Dale Nicholson III (Cassie), Winston Nicholson (Corinna), Davis Nicholson, Hunter Tynes, Haley Tynes; 10 great-grandchildren with one more on the way; brother-in-law, Dr. Tom J. Love (Betty) of Norman, Okla.; Mary Jeanette Wood (Stan) of Batesville; Dr. George Allen Overstreet (Susan) of Charlottesville, Va.; and Nancy Begley (Tom) of Diamondhead, Miss. There will be a celebration of Winston's life on Wednesday, April 9 at 2 p.m. at First United Methodist Church in Little Rock, 723 Center Street. A visitation will be held at Ruebel Funeral Home on Tuesday, April 8 from 5-7 p.m. The family requests memorials be made to First United Methodist Church in Little Rock or Hendrix College in Conway. Arrangements are under the direction of Ruebel Funeral Home, www.ruebelfuneralhome.com.