Pastor Tommy Wilbanks, 78, of Fitzgerald, Georgia, died Saturday, March 23, 2024, at his residence, surrounded by his family.
The family will receive friends from 6-8 Monday evening, March 25, 2024, at Paulk Funeral Home in Fitzgerald. A funeral service will be held later in Carroll’s Corner, Arkansas with burial at Garden Point Cemetery in Etowah, Arkansas.
Pastor Wilbanks was born February 28, 1946, in Chalybeate, Mississippi, to the late Marshall Lowery & Iva Campbell Wilbanks. He was a carpenter and loved working and building with his hands. He enjoyed fishing and doing yard work, especially riding his John Deere lawn mower. He never met a stranger and always helped others. Church was his life and he served as a Sunday school superintendent, assistant pastor, pastor and evangelist for many years. He moved to Fitzgerald three years ago to pastor Liberty Emmanual Holiness Church of Jesus Christ. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” Psalm 116:15
He is survived by his wife, Charlene Wiley Wilbanks of Fitzgerald; children: Tommy Wilbanks, Jr. & Sherry of Caraway, Arkansas, Larry Wilbanks of Osceola, Arkansas, Penny Wilbanks of Osceola, Arkansas, and Wayne Wiley of Fitzgerald; 20 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; a brother, Nathan & Nettie Wilbanks of Manila, Arkansas; along with many adoptive children and grands as well that he considered his. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Ella Fay Wilbanks; a son: Boyd Wayne Wilbanks; a son-in-law, Mark Wilbanks; a grandson: Allen Kyle Wilbanks; and a great-granddaughter: Kynlee Faith Wilbanks.
Paulk Funeral Home, Fitzgerald, and Faith Funeral Service of Manila, Arkansas are in charge of arrangements.