Passed from this life on June 20, 2015, at the age of 85. He was born in Sumner County on July 31, 1929. Earl was preceded in death by his parents, Woodard and Eddie Wilma Briley, as well as a brother, Robert Briley, and two sisters, Maxine Brown and Josephine McCloud. He was also preceded in death by his first wife, Blondell. Through her he is survived by one son, Terry, and his wife, Teri, as well as two grandsons, Nathan, who is engaged to Juliana Wong, and Daniel, who is married to Melissa Ocepek. Earl was also preceded in death by his second wife, Joan. He married Joan following Blondell’s passing after almost fifty years of marriage. He was blessed with a greatly enlarged family through Joan’s children: Vickie Haden, Bobby McMurtry and his wife Joyce, Kenny McMurtry (deceased), Nancy Freeze, Kathie Peden (deeased), Judy Dunkin and her husband David, Tony McMurtry and his wife Rita, Ronnie McMurtry and his wife Karen, And Cinda Petty and her husband Bill, along with 15 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren. Earl really enjoyed getting to go back home to Portland, and loving and being loved by his new extended family. After a stint in the army at Fort Carson, Colorado, Earl and Blondell moved to Nashville, where he began a rewarding career of over 40 years at Aladdin Industries. He worked as a machinist, and later in the research and design area. There he honed his skills of creating, building, and repairing anything to which he set his mind. He beautifully restored a number of classic cars over his lifetime, and also used his skills to serve others, whether by building a ramp to help someone who needed wheelchair access or repairing whatever was broken or building a birdhouse. He loved staying busy in his shop, an activity he was able to continue until close to the end of his life. Earl was greatly loved by those who knew him, not only for his loyalty and his skills, but also for his wit and enthusiasm for life. Outside his shop, he enjoyed spending time with family, playing pool and golf, listening to country and bluegrass music (especially the banjo), dancing when the mood struck him, and eating (especially ice cream and banana pudding). Special thanks go out from the family to the loving caregivers at Elmcroft Assisted Living, St. Thomas-Midtown Hospital, and Alive Hospice, for the way they nurtured Earl through the last phase of his life. Celebration of Life Service will be on Thursday, June 25, 2015 at two thirty in the afternoon, Woodlawn's Dignity Hall. Gathering of family and friends will be on Wednesday from four o'clock until eight o'clock, and from one until two o'clock Thursday at Woodlawn Roesch Patton Funeral Home.
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