GAYLON STEPHENS

Mr. Gaylon Stephens, age 63, passed away Tuesday, June 12, 2012, at his home in Pine Knot, Kentucky. Funeral services will be held Friday at 6p.m. in the chapel of Pine Knot Funeral Home with Rev. William Kilby and Bro. Brent Stephens officiating. The family will receive friends Friday from 4 a€" 6 pm at the funeral Home. Burial will take place Monday at 10 a.m. at the Southlawn Memorial Park in Petersburg, Virginia.

Mr. Stephens was born May 14, 1949, in McCreary County to the late Prince Ledford and Nancy Tavy (Richardson) Stephens. After graduating high school, Gaylon joined the United States Marine Corps and moved to Virginia. He served his country for four years then moved to Ohio where he worked in a bakery. He later moved to Virginia where he met his wife Bessie Diana Lail and married on February 16, 1974. Soon after, he went to work for Honeywell, Inc. where he was a machine operator and technician. He retired in 2001 and he and Bessie moved back to McCreary County. He enjoyed fishing, hunting and gardening. He attended the East Pine Knot Tabernacle Church of God where he enjoyed helping with the Angel Food Ministry.

Besides his parents, he is preceded in death by a brother Kelly Stephens. He is survived by his wife Bessie Diana Stephens of Pine Knot, a daughter Teresa Ferrell and her children Tyler and Jacob of Chester, Virginia, two sons; Robert Stephens, his wife Maggie and their daughter Ariel of Taiwan and Stephen Stephens and his daughter Makayla of Dinviddie, Virginia.

Surviving brothers are Elvis Stephens of Virginia, and Gregory Stephens of Washington, sisters; Lillian Essie Johnson, Pine Knot, Betty McDavid, Burlington, Kentucky, Dillie Wells, Pine Knot, Polly Spradlin, Lodi, Ohio, Myrtle Berding, Arkansas City, Kansas, Reda Garland, Stearns and Bonnie West, Pine Knot.