Vernon Leroy Barber, 71, of Tifton, passed away Wednesday, April 14, 2021, at Tift Regional Medical Center. His funeral service will be held at 4:00 p.m. Saturday, April 17, 2021, in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals with the Rev. Jay Kimbro officiating. Mr. Barber will be laid to rest at Oak Ridge Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Saturday, April 17, 2021, in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals from 3:00 p.m. until the hour of the service.
Wesley Barber, Tyler Barber, Zach Barber, Landon Spence, Stan Mercer and Patrick Spurgeon will serve as pallbearers.
Born November 15, 1949 in Cook County, Mr. Barber was the son of the late Vernon Chester Barber and Mary Catherine Thomas Barber. He was also preceded in death by one brother, Troy Barber. Before retiring, he was a salesman at Turner’s Furniture. He loved spending time with his family, especially his children and his grandchildren and he enjoyed watching Georgia Bulldogs football and working in his yard and everybody else’s. He was a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and, during his service, he was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with four stars, the RVN Cross of Gallantry with Palm, the Vietnam Campaign Medal with device, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat V, the Navy Unit Commendation Medal and the Meritorious Unit Citation Medal. He was also a member of Northside Baptist Church in Tifton.
Mr. Barber is survived by two daughters and one son-in-law, Jessica and Trever Spence of Leesburg and Michelle Eaton of Tifton; one brother and his wife, Shorty “Coy” and Ann Barber of Tifton; two sisters and one brother-in-law, Mary and Ray Walker and Cathy Lott, all of Tifton; a sister-in-law, Diane Barber of Tifton; and seven grandchildren, Zach Barber, Lexi Eaton, Landon Spence, McKinley Eaton, Sebastian Eaton, Grayson Spence and Hudson Spence.