Felton Wesley Hartley

Felton Wesley Hartley was born on a farm in Alamo Georgia October 13, 1929. He came from a large family six brothers and one sister. The family gave up the farm and moved to Macon Georgia where he grew up. Felton joined the Navy before he was 18 years old. He served honorably 20 years having been on nine different ships, crossed the equator 3 different times, served during Korean and Vietnam wars and was a Master Chief when he retired. Felton was married twice and had three children from his first marriage and four children from his second marriage. Felton’s second marriage lasted 58 years. His wife Joanne Hartley predeceased him in October 28, 2016 but will be interred with him at Veterans National Cemetery.

Wes as he preferred to be called retired from the Navy before he was 40 years old and went to work in the Nuclear Power Industry. His first job was at Connecticut Yankee power plant. The family moved to Connecticut in 1966 and left when Felton took a job at Palo Verde power plant. Felton got his Bachelor of Science degree in Management in 1982. Mr. Hartley eventually left Palo Verde and took a management consultant position with the nuclear firm Management Analysis Company where he traveled all over the United States with contracts from different power plants and energy companies. He finally retired in Phoenix, AZ after a long robust career at the ripe old age of seventy-four.

One of the things Wes loved to do was hike. He hiked all the mountains in the Phoenix area especially Piestewa Peak. He bought a house on Piestewa Peak Dr just so he could run out the door to the trail head. He would try and get other nuclear guys to go as well. Wes was known as a rim2rim guy. He would go to Grand Canyon and go down, across and up in one day. My mother or sister or I would drive around and meet him on the other side. Another great canyon trip was going down the Colorado River in pontoon boats to Lake Mead, Nevada. Eventually the falls became more serious, especially on Piestewa Peak so dad finally quit hiking close to eighty years old. Wes and Joanne loved to go on road trips all over the US as well and they went on their last one in 2014.

A celebration of life for Felton will be held Monday, October 25, 2021 at 11:00 AM at Shadow Mountain Mortuary, 2350 E Greenway Rd, Phoenix, Arizona 85022. Following the celebration of life will be a committal service with military honors at 2:00 PM at National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, 23029 N. Cave Creek Rd., Phoenix, Arizona 85024. By invitation only.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ShadowMountainMortuary.com for the Hartley family.