Harlen Painter - The Cleveland Daily Banner, Cleveland, TN
Sunday, Apr 18, 2010
Harlen
Painter, 79, a resident of Cleveland, passed away Friday, April 16, 2010, at his home.
He was born in Chuckey, Tenn., on April 26, 1930. He attended high school at Washington College and, after graduation, he enlisted in the United States Air Force for four years.
He attended East Tennessee State University where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1955. He received his doctor of jurisprudence degree from the University of Tennessee in 1957. In 1960 he moved to Cleveland to become a partner in the law firm of Corn, Bell and Whitson, which later became Bell & Associates.
In 1960, he was appointed Cleveland city attorney, in which position he served until retiring in December 2007.
During his 45 years of service to the city of Cleveland, he held many leadership positions. He was an active member of the Lions Club for many years. He was a member of Broad Street United Methodist Church for 48 years and a Kelly class Sunday school teacher for more than 20 years.
He set an example of commitment and honor not only to the community but also to his family. His hard work, dedication to serve and a desire to stand for what is just and true are a monument to the legacy he built.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Hubert and
Nellie Saults
Painter; one brother, Floyd
Painter; and two sisters: Jean Brown and Rosella
Painter.Survivors include his wife of 50 years, Lynette
Painter of Cleveland; three children: Barrett
Painter and wife, Elyn, of Cleveland, Vicki
Painter of Cleveland, and Beth Robinson and husband, Randy, of Ooltewah; three grandchildren: Sam
Painter, Lauren Robinson and Andrew Robinson; and several nieces and nephews
The funeral will be held at 1 p.m. Monday, April 19, 2010, at Broad Street United Methodist Church with Pastor Debbie Stokes and Pastor Reed Shell officiating.
Interment with military honors will follow in Hilcrest Memorial Gardens concluding with a white dove release ceremony. John Kimball, Mike Jenne, Jimmy Logan, Robert Thompson, Jerry Hoffer and Denny Mobbs will serve as pallbearers.
Honorary pallbearers include members of the Bradley County Bar Association, Kelly Sunday School Class, Evening Cleveland Lions Club, Ben Moore and Eddie Cartwright
The family will receive friends from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Ralph Buckner Funeral Home and also one hour prior to the service at the church on Monday.
His family has requested that memorials may be made to Broad Street United Methodist Church, PO Box 3, Cleveland, TN 37364 or to the charity of one's choice.
We invite you to send a message of condolence and view the
Painter family guest book at
www.ralphbuckner.com.