David Lewis Alley, Sr., age 90, of Knoxville, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, April 1, 2015.
He was a loving husband, beloved father, adored grandfather and great-grandfather.
Preceded in death by father, David Penland Alley; and mother, Ida Tucker Alley Leopper; and stepfather, Edward Leopper; and daughter, Norma Corinne “Wren” Alley.
He is survived by his beautiful bride of 66 years, Jeannine Burns Alley; and four children, Susan Weber, Knoxville, Joy Smith and husband Hal, Nolensville, Tenn., David Alley, Jr. and wife Jeanie, Knoxville, and Ann Kington and husband Mark, Alexandria, Va.; eight grandchildren, Wren Anderson and husband Travis, Ashley Hinesley and husband Reid, Elizabeth Rauston and husband Web, Trey Alley, Hunter Alley, Fred Weber, Mark Kington, Jr. and Emery Kington; five great-grandchildren, Olivia, Molly, and Scott Anderson, Halli Hinesley, and Parks Rauston; sisters-in-law, Norma Jo Hamilton and Polly Allen (deceased) and husband James Allen.
He was a member of Church Street United Methodist Church. David Alley was born March 12, 1925, in Oakdale, Tenn., in Morgan County.
In 1943, at the age of 17, Alley was accepted into a new pilot training program in the Army Air Force. He was commissioned 2nd Lt. and awarded pilot’s wings in November of 1944, at the age of 19, making him one of the youngest pilots in the Army Air Force. Alley flew 11 missions in Europe with the 8th Air Force, which had the highest casualty rate of any branch of service in WW2. He flew 35 different Air Force planes, including the B-17, B-24, and B-29. After the war, Alley flew transports during the Berlin Airlift and provided air rescue missions in the Pacific and over U.S. mainland. As air traffic coordinator for European countries, while stationed at Orly Field, in Paris, France, Alley was awarded the highest Flight Safety Award for saving the crew and passengers of a distressed C-47 transport aircraft from crashing. After returning to the States, while stationed at Langley Air Force Base, as operation officer, he was responsible for scheduling the flying hours of the original seven astronauts and was appointed by Four-Star General A.W. Sweeney, commander of the Tactical Air Command, to organize and command a new honor guard for welcoming dignitaries to Langley. His final assignment was associate professor of air science for Air Force ROTC at the University of Tennessee, where he completed his first year’s work toward his Doctorate of Education. Alley retired as a major in the USAF with 22 years of service and 8,000 flying hours in 1966. After retirement, he started David Alley Real Estate Company and retired his license in 2014, after 40 years of successful service to the Knoxville area. Alley authored the book “December 7, 1941 - A Different Path.” The book was dedicated to his 11 high school classmates from Oakdale and Harriman, Tenn., who lost their lives in WW2.
Celebration of life will be held at Church Street United Methodist Church at 11 a.m. Monday, April 6, 2015, with Reverends Andy Ferguson, Jan Wade, and Matt Hampton officiating. Reception and receiving of friends immediately following. Burial will be held at Crab Orchard Cemetery in Oakdale, Tenn., at 4 p.m. with a military honor guard.
Memorials may be designated for Church Street UMC’s Altar Guild or Pastoral Special Needs Fund, P.O .Box 1303, Knoxville, TN 37901. Arrangements by Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel.
He was a loving husband, beloved father, adored grandfather and great-grandfather.
Preceded in death by father, David Penland Alley; and mother, Ida Tucker Alley Leopper; and stepfather, Edward Leopper; and daughter, Norma Corinne “Wren” Alley.
He is survived by his beautiful bride of 66 years, Jeannine Burns Alley; and four children, Susan Weber, Knoxville, Joy Smith and husband Hal, Nolensville, Tenn., David Alley, Jr. and wife Jeanie, Knoxville, and Ann Kington and husband Mark, Alexandria, Va.; eight grandchildren, Wren Anderson and husband Travis, Ashley Hinesley and husband Reid, Elizabeth Rauston and husband Web, Trey Alley, Hunter Alley, Fred Weber, Mark Kington, Jr. and Emery Kington; five great-grandchildren, Olivia, Molly, and Scott Anderson, Halli Hinesley, and Parks Rauston; sisters-in-law, Norma Jo Hamilton and Polly Allen (deceased) and husband James Allen.
He was a member of Church Street United Methodist Church. David Alley was born March 12, 1925, in Oakdale, Tenn., in Morgan County.
In 1943, at the age of 17, Alley was accepted into a new pilot training program in the Army Air Force. He was commissioned 2nd Lt. and awarded pilot’s wings in November of 1944, at the age of 19, making him one of the youngest pilots in the Army Air Force. Alley flew 11 missions in Europe with the 8th Air Force, which had the highest casualty rate of any branch of service in WW2. He flew 35 different Air Force planes, including the B-17, B-24, and B-29. After the war, Alley flew transports during the Berlin Airlift and provided air rescue missions in the Pacific and over U.S. mainland. As air traffic coordinator for European countries, while stationed at Orly Field, in Paris, France, Alley was awarded the highest Flight Safety Award for saving the crew and passengers of a distressed C-47 transport aircraft from crashing. After returning to the States, while stationed at Langley Air Force Base, as operation officer, he was responsible for scheduling the flying hours of the original seven astronauts and was appointed by Four-Star General A.W. Sweeney, commander of the Tactical Air Command, to organize and command a new honor guard for welcoming dignitaries to Langley. His final assignment was associate professor of air science for Air Force ROTC at the University of Tennessee, where he completed his first year’s work toward his Doctorate of Education. Alley retired as a major in the USAF with 22 years of service and 8,000 flying hours in 1966. After retirement, he started David Alley Real Estate Company and retired his license in 2014, after 40 years of successful service to the Knoxville area. Alley authored the book “December 7, 1941 - A Different Path.” The book was dedicated to his 11 high school classmates from Oakdale and Harriman, Tenn., who lost their lives in WW2.
Celebration of life will be held at Church Street United Methodist Church at 11 a.m. Monday, April 6, 2015, with Reverends Andy Ferguson, Jan Wade, and Matt Hampton officiating. Reception and receiving of friends immediately following. Burial will be held at Crab Orchard Cemetery in Oakdale, Tenn., at 4 p.m. with a military honor guard.
Memorials may be designated for Church Street UMC’s Altar Guild or Pastoral Special Needs Fund, P.O .Box 1303, Knoxville, TN 37901. Arrangements by Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel.
David Lewis Alley, Sr., age 90, of Knoxville, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, April 1, 2015.
He was a loving husband, beloved father, adored grandfather and great-grandfather.
Preceded in death by father, David Penland Alley; and mother, Ida Tucker Alley Leopper; and stepfather, Edward Leopper; and daughter, Norma Corinne “Wren” Alley.
He is survived by his beautiful bride of 66 years, Jeannine Burns Alley; and four children, Susan Weber, Knoxville, Joy Smith and husband Hal, Nolensville, Tenn., David Alley, Jr. and wife Jeanie, Knoxville, and Ann Kington and husband Mark, Alexandria, Va.; eight grandchildren, Wren Anderson and husband Travis, Ashley Hinesley and husband Reid, Elizabeth Rauston and husband Web, Trey Alley, Hunter Alley, Fred Weber, Mark Kington, Jr. and Emery Kington; five great-grandchildren, Olivia, Molly, and Scott Anderson, Halli Hinesley, and Parks Rauston; sisters-in-law, Norma Jo Hamilton and Polly Allen (deceased) and husband James Allen.
He was a member of Church Street United Methodist Church. David Alley was born March 12, 1925, in Oakdale, Tenn., in Morgan County.
In 1943, at the age of 17, Alley was accepted into a new pilot training program in the Army Air Force. He was commissioned 2nd Lt. and awarded pilot’s wings in November of 1944, at the age of 19, making him one of the youngest pilots in the Army Air Force. Alley flew 11 missions in Europe with the 8th Air Force, which had the highest casualty rate of any branch of service in WW2. He flew 35 different Air Force planes, including the B-17, B-24, and B-29. After the war, Alley flew transports during the Berlin Airlift and provided air rescue missions in the Pacific and over U.S. mainland. As air traffic coordinator for European countries, while stationed at Orly Field, in Paris, France, Alley was awarded the highest Flight Safety Award for saving the crew and passengers of a distressed C-47 transport aircraft from crashing. After returning to the States, while stationed at Langley Air Force Base, as operation officer, he was responsible for scheduling the flying hours of the original seven astronauts and was appointed by Four-Star General A.W. Sweeney, commander of the Tactical Air Command, to organize and command a new honor guard for welcoming dignitaries to Langley. His final assignment was associate professor of air science for Air Force ROTC at the University of Tennessee, where he completed his first year’s work toward his Doctorate of Education. Alley retired as a major in the USAF with 22 years of service and 8,000 flying hours in 1966. After retirement, he started David Alley Real Estate Company and retired his license in 2014, after 40 years of successful service to the Knoxville area. Alley authored the book “December 7, 1941 - A Different Path.” The book was dedicated to his 11 high school classmates from Oakdale and Harriman, Tenn., who lost their lives in WW2.
Celebration of life will be held at Church Street United Methodist Church at 11 a.m. Monday, April 6, 2015, with Reverends Andy Ferguson, Jan Wade, and Matt Hampton officiating. Reception and receiving of friends immediately following. Burial will be held at Crab Orchard Cemetery in Oakdale, Tenn., at 4 p.m. with a military honor guard.
Memorials may be designated for Church Street UMC’s Altar Guild or Pastoral Special Needs Fund, P.O .Box 1303, Knoxville, TN 37901. Arrangements by Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel.
He was a loving husband, beloved father, adored grandfather and great-grandfather.
Preceded in death by father, David Penland Alley; and mother, Ida Tucker Alley Leopper; and stepfather, Edward Leopper; and daughter, Norma Corinne “Wren” Alley.
He is survived by his beautiful bride of 66 years, Jeannine Burns Alley; and four children, Susan Weber, Knoxville, Joy Smith and husband Hal, Nolensville, Tenn., David Alley, Jr. and wife Jeanie, Knoxville, and Ann Kington and husband Mark, Alexandria, Va.; eight grandchildren, Wren Anderson and husband Travis, Ashley Hinesley and husband Reid, Elizabeth Rauston and husband Web, Trey Alley, Hunter Alley, Fred Weber, Mark Kington, Jr. and Emery Kington; five great-grandchildren, Olivia, Molly, and Scott Anderson, Halli Hinesley, and Parks Rauston; sisters-in-law, Norma Jo Hamilton and Polly Allen (deceased) and husband James Allen.
He was a member of Church Street United Methodist Church. David Alley was born March 12, 1925, in Oakdale, Tenn., in Morgan County.
In 1943, at the age of 17, Alley was accepted into a new pilot training program in the Army Air Force. He was commissioned 2nd Lt. and awarded pilot’s wings in November of 1944, at the age of 19, making him one of the youngest pilots in the Army Air Force. Alley flew 11 missions in Europe with the 8th Air Force, which had the highest casualty rate of any branch of service in WW2. He flew 35 different Air Force planes, including the B-17, B-24, and B-29. After the war, Alley flew transports during the Berlin Airlift and provided air rescue missions in the Pacific and over U.S. mainland. As air traffic coordinator for European countries, while stationed at Orly Field, in Paris, France, Alley was awarded the highest Flight Safety Award for saving the crew and passengers of a distressed C-47 transport aircraft from crashing. After returning to the States, while stationed at Langley Air Force Base, as operation officer, he was responsible for scheduling the flying hours of the original seven astronauts and was appointed by Four-Star General A.W. Sweeney, commander of the Tactical Air Command, to organize and command a new honor guard for welcoming dignitaries to Langley. His final assignment was associate professor of air science for Air Force ROTC at the University of Tennessee, where he completed his first year’s work toward his Doctorate of Education. Alley retired as a major in the USAF with 22 years of service and 8,000 flying hours in 1966. After retirement, he started David Alley Real Estate Company and retired his license in 2014, after 40 years of successful service to the Knoxville area. Alley authored the book “December 7, 1941 - A Different Path.” The book was dedicated to his 11 high school classmates from Oakdale and Harriman, Tenn., who lost their lives in WW2.
Celebration of life will be held at Church Street United Methodist Church at 11 a.m. Monday, April 6, 2015, with Reverends Andy Ferguson, Jan Wade, and Matt Hampton officiating. Reception and receiving of friends immediately following. Burial will be held at Crab Orchard Cemetery in Oakdale, Tenn., at 4 p.m. with a military honor guard.
Memorials may be designated for Church Street UMC’s Altar Guild or Pastoral Special Needs Fund, P.O .Box 1303, Knoxville, TN 37901. Arrangements by Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel.
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