Robert Walter Huntley

Robert Walter Huntley, age 94, died Friday, January 30, 2015 at Penick Village in Southern Pines, NC. Memorial services will be at 3:00PM Monday, February 2, 2015 at Leavitt Funeral Home with Rev. Benny Clodfelter officiating. The family will greet friends at the funeral home prior to the service beginning at 2:00PM. Robert was born in Anson County on October 13, 1920, the son of the late Louise Beverly and William Henry Huntley. He was preceded in death by his brothers Charles Beverly Huntley, Col. William Henry Huntley, Herman Harry Huntley and sons Thomas Allen Huntley and Robert Joel Huntley. Robert was a graduate of Wadesboro High School and attended North Carolina State University until he was called for pilot training in the US Army during WWII. He flew with the 8th Air Force in Europe and was awarded the US Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters along with Seven Battle Stars and several other campaign medals. Robert returned to Wadesboro to join his father in the operation of Huntley Buick and then entered the oil, land and timber businesses. He served as president for both Huntley Oil & Gas Co. and Huntley Land and Timber Co. Robert's contributions to the community were many. He was an active member of First United Methodist Church, serving on various committees and was a member of the Wesley Men's Bible Class. He was a director of United Carolina Bank in Whiteville, NC, Anson Savings and Loan Association and West Knitting Mills. He was elected to five terms on the Wadesboro Town Council and was a founding member of the Wadesboro Housing Authority. He served as a trustee for the Lillie Bennett Memorial Foundation. Robert's interests were many and included reading, traveling, flying, farming, raising Angus cattle, hunting and fishing at his beloved Hatteras Island. He loved spending time with his family and researching family and country history. Surviving are his wife of 71 years, Evalyn Allen Huntley of Penick Village in Southern Pines; his son, William Kenneth Huntley and wife, Marilee, of Wadesboro; his daughter-in-law, Sandy Covington Huntley, of Wadesboro; his grandchildren, Will Huntley and wife, Ashlee, of Pinehurst, Mariette Huntley Roland and husband, Lee, of Raleigh, Justin Robert Huntley and wife, Jennifer, of Raleigh, Thomas Allen Huntley of Chapel Hill and Rachael Huntley Strickland and husband, Matt, of Durham; three great grandchildren, Mary Grace Huntley and William Kenneth Huntley III of Pinehurst, and Huntley Marie Roland of Raleigh. Also surviving is his sister, Louise Huntley Garris, of Pinehurst; sisters-in-law, Ruby Huntley, Nancy Huntley, and Mararuth Cox all of Wadesboro and Bettie Huntley of Southern Pines; and several nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church, 118 East Morgan St., Wadesboro, NC 28170, the Anson Historical Society, 206 East Wade St., Wadesboro, NC or the Penick Village Employee Fund, PO Box 2001, Southern Pines, NC 28388.