George Edward Medley IV

George Edward Medley IV, 71, died on September 16, 2016 at East Texas Medical Center in Athens, Texas. He was born on December 7, 1944 in Owensboro, Kentucky, the fifth child of Edwin Wathen Medley and Louva Ford Medley. He grew up in Owensboro attending Blessed Mother and St. Stephens Catholic elementary schools and graduated from Owensboro Catholic High School in 1962. He played football at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky and finished his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Brescia College (now University) in Owensboro while working part-time at Medley Distilling Company. In 1966 he married his college sweetheart Sarah Elizabeth (Sally) Atkins. During the Vietnam Era he was drafted into the Army and served at Fort Knox, Kentucky from 1969-1971. After his service, he resumed working at Medley Distilling Company in Owensboro in the quality control lab. He, his brothers and cousins were the 7th generation distillers of Kentucky bourbon following in the footsteps of their fathers…distillers of Medley Brothers and Five Brothers Kentucky Bourbon. During this time he volunteered coaching the 7th and 8th grade basketball and football teams for Blessed Mother and Immaculate Conception Catholic schools. For approximately 3 years he was an insurance and estate planning agent for Northwestern Mutual . In 1978 he came to Texas to work for Delta Drilling Company in Tyler, Texas. He retired from the oil and gas industry after 28 years in December of 2005.He enjoyed all sports, especially football, reading, traveling and was a great animal lover. George was preceded in death by his parents Edwin Wathen Medley and Louva Ford Medley, sister Margaret Montgomery Medley Stanley, and brothers Joseph Ford Medley, James Bernard Medley II and Byron Edwin Medley Sr. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Sally Medley of Canton, Texas; a son Edwin Wathen Medley and wife Penny of Arkadelphia, Arkansas; daughter Julia Medley Haskins and husband Jasen of Wylie, Texas and daughter Katherine Medley Sixbey of El Dorado, Arkansas; and seven grandchildren: Sidney Brook Medley and Collin Joseph Medley, Christopher Liam Haskins and Katherine Anne Haskins; Sarah Olivia Sixbey, John Thomas Sixbey and George Patrick Sixbey; and one sister, Cora Ellen Medley McKinley of Elizabethtown, Kentucky. George was a founding member of St. Therese Catholic Church in Canton; a member and past president of the Holy Name Society, an active participate in Catholic Charities, a 4th Degree Knights of Columbus, and a Friend of the Van Zandt County Library. Visitation will be 6-7 pm at Eubank Funeral Home in Canton on Tuesday, September 20th with Rosary following from 7-8 pm. Funeral Mass will be 10:00 Wednesday morning, September 21st at St. Therese Catholic Church in Canton. Interment will be in Haven of Memories. Pallbearers will be Manuel Chabarria, David Perez, Duane Musgrave, Pete Cantu, Mike Martin, and Jasen Haskins. Honorary pallbearers are his four grandsons. In lieu of flowers the family has requested donations to an Animal Humane Society.