Earl Alliston Sr.

Gene Earl Alliston was born June 24th, 1933 in a small house on Memorial Drive in Atlanta, Georgia, to his parents, Henry Grady Alliston and Hester Wynona Murdock in the midst of the Great Depression. He is preceded in death by his older brother, Henry, with whom he was very close. He spent his childhood in Atlanta and graduated from Murphy High School, where he played four years of varsity football, a time he remembered fondly. He attempted to continue his football career at the University of Georgia, where he tried out for the legendary Vince Dooley’s team, but was not successful, leading him to become a lifelong Georgia Tech fan.

At 21, he enlisted with the Marines in October of 1953 and went through basic training at Cherry Point in North Carolina. He served during the Korean war rising quickly to the rank of Corporal servicing airplanes for the military. It was during this time that he discovered his love for fixing and building planes and flight. He was honorably discharged in December 1955.

In 1959, he met the love of his life in Atlanta, Nancy Gooch on his way to spend a day on his boat with friends out on the lake. One look at Nancy and he was taken and decided then and there to date her. They were married three months later on July 12th, 1959 and had two children together; a son, Earl Jr and a daughter Kim, both whom he loved and cherished dearly. Earl and Nancy were married and devoted to each other for 63 wonderful years. Until his very last breath, he honored and cared for Nancy, staying by her side loyally in sickness and in health.

After his discharge from the marines, he was employed by Economic Laboratories where he showcased his aptitude for laundromat chemicals and business. When his division was dissolved, he struck out on his own as an entrepreneur founding Alliston’s Laundry Systems on March 6th of 1981. He successfully ran that business as well as owned a multitude of coin laundries until September 1997, when he retired and sold his business.

Earl was an intelligent, curious man who loved building and flying model airplanes in his free time and did so long into his old age. He was a certified pilot and loved every opportunity he got to take to the skies. He loved golf most of all, whether it be watching or playing, he had a great passion for the sport. He played every weekend, every opportunity he got most of the time with his wife. He loved old country music like Johnny Cash and Hank Williams. He was a man curious about the world and interested in the progression of technology. He loved gadgets, new inventions, and learning about the ever-changing world around him. He was kind and fair to everyone. Earl was a good friend, a loving husband, a devoted father, cherished grandfather, and above all a person those who loved him will not soon forget.

Earl passed away at the age of 89 after a life well lived on his Mother’s birthday June 10th 2023. He is preceded in death by his brother Henry and his wife June, and his son, Earl Jr. He is survived by his wife Nancy, his daughter Kim and her husband Jim, his nephew Turk and his wife Sandra, his nephew Lee and his wife Leslie, his daughter-in-law Linda, his grandson Jason and wife Ashley and his granddaughters Danielle, Rachel, Rebekah, and Rosie, and his many great-grandchildren. He will live on in the memories and hearts of all who loved him.

A memorial service for Earl will be held Tuesday, June 13, 2023 at 1:00 PM at Roswell Funeral Home, 950 Mansell Road, Roswell, GA 30076, followed by a reception at 2:00 PM.

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