Sydney Findley Barringer of Coker died Dec. 20, 2011, at Hospice of West Alabama. Findley was born in Coker on his mother's kitchen table April 3, 1917, the eighth of 10 children. Findley was a lifelong resident of Coker, except for "moving to town" twice as a child and service in the Civilian Conservation Corps before and the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He was born in the house built by his great-grandfather, Lewis Alexander Barringer, and lived his last 77 years in the house his "grandpa" Riley Newbern Barringer built.
He graduated from Tuscaloosa County High School in 1937 and supported TCHS athletics for many years. After the War, Findley worked at B.F. Goodrich before joining the U.S. Post Office, where he worked until 1976. He was an avid genealogist long before the days of the internet and organized family reunions for nearly 50 years.
Findley served his community, especially youth, in four decades as business and dining hall manager for his church's summer camp program, as Cubmaster and Scoutmaster in Coker, coaching Little League in Northport and by supporting the American Legion Post 208 baseball program and speech competitions. He belonged to and cooked for the Order of the Arrow and the Boy Scout honor society. He served as a Disabled American Veterans Service Officer, in the Coker Lions Club, and Forty and Eight.
He served his church as Presbyterial Stated Clerk for more than 25 years. He served as secretary for Tuscaloosa Branch 1096, National Association of Letter Carriers, representing the Branch at national conventions. Upon retiring, he volunteered at Westwood Elementary School, where his grandchildren attended. He was a driver for the Coker Volunteer Fire Department, where he enjoyed playing dominoes. Findley traveled throughout America with his family to over 30 states and took his Boy Scouts all over Alabama, from Gulf Shores to Dismals Wonder Gardens to the Tannehill Furnaces to Mount Cheaha.
He was predeceased by his parents, Willie Bean and Pearl Findley Barringer; all six brothers, two of whom lived to 99 (Lewis) and 102 (Festus); all three sisters; a son, Sydney Findley Barringer Jr.; a daughter, Julia Ruth Barringer; three nephews; and four nieces.
He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Frances Brundage Barringer; his son, William Sydney Barringer (Suzanne) of Dothan; his daughter, Anne Montgomery (Jerry) of Coker; grandsons, Staff Sergeant Nolan C. Barringer (Carrie) of DuPont, Wash., Blake A. Eatman of Pelham, Nathan Findley Montgomery of Tuscaloosa, and Bill P. Barringer of Dothan; granddaughters, Abbegail S. Barringer of Birmingham and Megan Montgomery Smith of Coker; great-grandsons, Samuel Augustus Barringer and Henry Winston Barringer, both of DuPont, Wash., and Hunter Montgomery Smith of Coker; sisters-in-law, Helen Barringer of Coker, Pat Brundage of Macon, Ga., and Gail Brundage of Coulterville, Calif.; brother-in-law, Harry Singletary of Macon; 12 nephews; and eight nieces.
Findley had a great affection for all his nieces and nephews and some of them lived with him and Mama Pearl before he married. He served as Best Man for another nephew whose father had passed away. He once drove to Arkansas to pick up his niece and great-nephew whose car had broken down.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Black Warrior Council, Boy Scouts of America, the Coker Cumberland Presbyterian Church or a church of one’s choice, any veterans’ organization that benefits wounded and/or disabled veterans, or Hospice of West Alabama.
Visitation will be tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. at Sunset Funeral Home Chapel
Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Friday at Sunset Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will follow in Sunset Valor Garden with Sunset Funeral Home, a Dignity Memorial Provider, directing.
Pallbearers will be grandsons, nephews, and former Scouts.
Honorary pallbearers are Tonya and Frank Barringer, Nan Snyder, J.C. Evans, Buddy and Shirley Mitchum, elders, former elders and members of the Coker Cumberland Presbyterian Church, DCH Home Health; and staff at Hospice of West Alabama.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.9.5