Robert E. Hartley

Robert E. Hartley was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

Robert was born on August 16, 1930 at home in Hudson, NC. His parents were Olen and Edith Hartley. Robert was raised in Statesville, Valdese, Newport News, Va., and Hudson, NC. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

Growing up in the Hartley household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, Robert was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and he was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Robert was raised as an only child. Robert was always consistently loyal to his family.

As a young child, Robert was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. He wasn’t pushy and never forced his way into games or other activities. Robert developed a variety of interests, though, and the things he enjoyed doing he did well. He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. Robert took part in baseball, foot races, (running), and riding bicycles. He was a member of 4-H. In his spare time he liked comic books and cars. Robert's memorable achievements included the fact that he could outrun all his classmates. However, what Robert enjoyed most was simply playing and spending time with his many friends.

While his teachers and even his friends generally thought of Robert as being a serious person, he managed to have a pretty good time in high school as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He was a member of the French Club, 4-H Club and Fire Patrol. He graduated from Hudson High School in 1949. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favorite class in high school was English. The teacher he enjoyed learning from the most was Mrs. Claudia Kincaid. He was a school bus driver and graduated as "best looking" boy in the class. After graduation, Robert attended the class reunions and remained close to his classmates. Robert was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using his exceptional memory, he was able to learn much through observation. Robert always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though he could easily master any problem that might be presented to him.

Always considered to be a solid friend, Robert was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during his life. Since he disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw his own conclusions based on direct observation, Robert was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew him. He was committed to his friends and valued the trust he placed in them. It was not uncommon for Robert to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought him out for advice because he had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma. While growing up, some of his best friends were Dwight Sigmon, A.L. Pearson,

Betty Sue Hartley, Lloyd Justice and Carroll Laney. He remained friends with the friends he grew up with, and later in life became friends with Donald Hatley, Ray Sparks, Jack Willis, Ed Wright, Bill and Hazel Abernathy, Noel and Linda Philyaw, Frank and Pat Clarke, Nuancy and Claudette Huffman and Clarence Arney.

On October 21, 1955 Robert exchanged wedding vows with Joyce Helen Hart at the Poovey's Chapel Baptist Church of Hudson, NC. Compassionate and devoted to Joyce, Robert held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment. He was a source of strength to Joyce and using his gifts at nurturing one-on-one relationships, he worked hard to make his new family happy. Two weeks prior to his death, God granted Robert and Joyce

one more happy anniversary - their 55th.

Robert brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his children. He was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Robert was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Robert was blessed with three daughters, Cindy, Kristy, and Bobbie. They were also blessed with one grandson, Sheldon Gragg (deceased}; two granddaughters, Amber and Taylor Burchette; five step-grandchildren, Sandy, Stephen, Jessica, Yvonne, and Sarah, and four great-grandchildren, Ha'Aheo, Noa, Elijah and Isaiah..

Robert greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Robert enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Robert was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. His primary occupation was being a tool and die maker. He was employed for 32 years with General Electric Company in Hickory, NC. Robert worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Robert was an Air Force Veteran. He spent 12 weeks at Chanute Air Force Base in Illinois training in aircraft hydraulics and used this training the remainder of his career at Ellington Air Force Base in Houston, Texas. Robert saw action for the Korean War, but never went overseas. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of A/1C (P), Airman, 1st Class. He received praise for his valor, including being awarded National Defense Service Metal and Good Conduct Metal. A literal thinker who possessed a calm exterior, Robert seemed to enjoy the routines set forth by the military. They taught him that there is a place for everything and everything in its place. This habit stayed with him for life. His results-oriented approach to things made him committed to the job, and he understood well his role in serving his country.

Robert liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies, where he was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. Since he enjoyed his private time, Robert always tried to allocate a specific time for working on his hobbies. He loved to tinker in his shop; he liked to fix things. Robert was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others. For a number of years, he had a fishing boat and enjoyed spending the day fishing with his good friend, Jack Willis.

Robert found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, he could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. In high school, Robert played baseball and ran track. As an adult he enjoyed riding cross country on his motorcycle until at the age of 40 he had an accident that broke his right leg in three places. This ended his motorcycle riding days. He would watch his favorite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. His favorite was watching car races on television.

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As a man who always showed great commitment to the things he believed in, he was willing to help anyone in the community who needed help. Being practical and mentally disciplined, Robert preferred to base his decisions on first-hand experiences. Robert was never afraid to roll up his sleeves and dig right in. Politically, Robert was a Republican and always voted. He was a member of the Hudson American Legion.

Robert was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a member of Poovey's Chapel Baptist Church for 66 years. During that time, he was secretary/treasurer, sound technician, and served on cemetery committee and other committees. He was a sympathetic man who valued his beliefs and was willing to work tirelessly for them.

Robert sought out practical solutions, not individual recognition. He was always grounded and objective, feeling a strong sense of responsibility for taking care of what needed to be done. This selfless attitude earned Robert many accolades for his efforts and achievements. Some of his most prestigious awards included winning an award from General Electric for one of his suggestions on how to improve a certain job.

Robert enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since he was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Robert appeared effortless. He enjoyed researching all of his examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where he traveled, Robert always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included Lake Lure, Pigeon Forge and Myrtle Beach. He loved the mountains and the family camped for many years.

Robert was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. He loved dogs. One of Robert’s favorites was Misty, an Australian Shepherd. Robert bought her for his grandson, who lived with him at the time, but when the grandson moved away, Misty stayed for the rest of her life with him. They were best friends for 13 years. Shep was his beloved dog as a teenager, then Penny was his first dog after he was married. Shep and Penny were both English Shepherds. He also had a red chow dog named Pandy,

When Robert’s retirement finally arrived in November 1, 1988, he was well prepared. He always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things he knew, so he was very confident in planning his retirement. He had begun the process early and had his retirement all laid out well in advance. In retirement, he found pleasure in staying active in church, enjoying car races and working in his workshop. Even in retirement, Robert continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances.

Robert E. Hartley passed away on November 8, 2010 at home. Robert was diagnosed with cancer in 1994, for which he had radical surgery at Baptist Hospital and recovered. Baptist Hospital considered his recovery a miracle. He also had diabetes, non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver and a stroke 2 1/2 years ago.

Through all these, he possessed a great determination to keep going and was able to stay on his feet until his passing. He is survived by his wife, Joyce, children, Cindy, Kristy and Bobbie; grandchildren, Amber, Taylor, Stephen, Sandy, Jessica, Yvonne and Sarah; great grandchildren, Ha'aho, Noa, Elijah and Isaish. Services were held at Poovey's Chapel Baptist Church. Robert was laid to rest in the Cemetery of Poovey's Chapel Baptist Church.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Robert E. Hartley. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.