Leon Kerley

Kerley, Leon, age 89, of Knoxville, Tennessee, passed away Thursday morning at UT Hospital due to complications of surgery to repair a broken hip. He was preceded in death by his wife Margaret Weems Kerley of Johnson City in 1999 who was a retiree of the University of Tennessee Hospital and brother, Charles Kerley of Pulaski, Tennessee. Leon was a veteran of World War II landing on the beach of Sicily in July of 1943 during one of the largest invasion ever seen. He served with the 400th Anti-Aircraft Battalion while in Italy, France, Belgium and Germany. Leon was a member of Meridian Baptist Church and retired from Nolen (Wood) Products in Knoxville. He is survived by sons, Ron and Darryl Kerley; daughters-in-law, Rosanne and Jamie Kerley; granddaughters, Marcie Masterson, Ashley Farmer and Hannah Kerley; and great- grandson, Jackson Davis Farmer, son of Ashley and Eric Farmer; brother and sister-in-law, Eddie and Margie Kerley of Knoxville and brother, Bill (Jr.) Kerley of Macon Georgia. The family would like to extend a special thanks to Freda Morton for the loving and generous care she provided to our father after the death of our mother; to Sue Berchetto and his granddaughter Marcie who cared for dad during the on-set of his Alzheimer’s, and to the Ben Atchley - Tennessee State Veterans Home who committed themselves to the care of our father and the many other heroes of our nation living at TSVH. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Alzheimers Association. Family will receive friends on Sunday from 1:00 PM until 2:30 PM in the chapel of Berry Funeral Home, Chapman Highway, with the funeral service to follow at 2:30 PM, Rev. Dana Fachman officiating. Interment will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery. Arrangements by Berry Funeral Home, Chapman Highway. Condolences may be offered at www.berryfuneralhome.com