Mr. George H. Oakley, 84, of Graham, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 25, 2024, at Alamance Regional Medical Center. A devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend. George was known for his reliability and generosity. He will be deeply missed.
He was born in Alamance County on June 5, 1940. George was the eldest son of the late George and Elizabeth Hurdle Oakley.
George graduated from Williams High School in 1958, where he was a proud member of the basketball and baseball teams. His basketball teammates still get together each April to have lunch and talk about how good they were.
He earned scholarships to play basketball and baseball at Chowan Junior College in Murfreesboro, NC, and continued his education at Elon College. At Elon, George’s talent on the baseball field earned him a reputation, particularly for his slow, deliberate walk to the pitcher’s mound – often followed by striking out the competition.
While attending Elon, George met Carol Kallam in 1961, and the two were married on August 25, 1963. They had 61 wonderful years together.
After graduating from Elon, George began his career at King Tire Service in Burlington, partnering with Emmitt King. Over 37 years as co-owner, he built strong relationships with loyal employees and customers alike. George was an active member of the North Carolina Tire Dealers Association, National Tire Dealers Association, and American Car Care Association. His industry connections brought his family memorable trips to destinations such as Hawaii, Mexico, Las Vegas, Italy, and the Caribbean. George often said, “Hard work is good, but fun times with family are better.”
George was a dedicated member of the Burlington Civitan Club for over 33 years, earning Civitan of the Year honors four times. For 29 years, he managed the sale of Claxton Fruit Cakes, resulting in a prestigious plaque awarded by the Claxton Fruit Cake Company in recognition of his faithful service and outstanding sales leadership. Civitan International also honored him as Medallion Member of the Year.
George would constantly go to different restaurants and businesses leaving peppermint candy to raise money for the Civitan Club to give scholarships to local students for college. Many gifts to special organizations were made possible through his hard work.
He also served on the Board of Alamance Friends of Youth for 5 years and sponsored many activities, including burning a few hamburgers and hotdogs at cook outs or sharing a gift of money to those children less fortunate.
George was an active member of Beverly Hills United Church of Christ for 25 years and New Mission United Church of Christ for 5 years. His contributions went far beyond regular attendance – he lent a hand wherever needed, whether it was organizing barbecues, mowing the lawn, sponsoring a peewee team, or simply helping a friend in need.
George is survived by his devoted wife, Carol; his sons, Rick Oakley of Wilmington, and Chad Oakley of Graham; his daughter, Julie Angel Sanburn, her husband Mike of Raleigh, and their two precious children, Maddux and Mia Elaine Sanburn.
He was preceded in death by his brother, Byron Oakley, and his sister, Dottee Oakley.
A funeral service will be held at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at the Rich & Thompson Chapel in Graham. The family will receive friends prior to the service, from12:30 PM to 1:45 PM. Burial will follow at Alamance Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Burlington Civitan Club at PO Box 568, Burlington, NC 27216, an organization that held a special place in George’s heart.
