Obituaries

STANLEY BITELY

Tuesday, August 11, 2009 11:09 PM CDT

TAMO — Stanley Ward Bitely, PhD, EDd, 48, a lifelong resident of Tamo (Jefferson County), died Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009, at Baptist Health Medical Center, in North Little Rock.

Ward was born Dec. 23, 1960, in Jefferson County, the son of the late Stanley and Imogene Shults Bitely. He was reared and received his education in Grady, where he graduated from Grady High School in 1979. He attended Ouachita Baptist University, University of Arkansas at Conway, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and the Royal Academy at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Ward was a band director at Coal Hill Public Schools, McGehee High School, Magnet Cove Public School, and Henderson Middle School in Little Rock until his retirement in 2006. He was also an adjudicator for Drum-Corps International.

He was a lifelong member of Linwood Baptist Church in Tamo, where he had served as music director. He was also a member of the Arkansas School Bands and Orchestra Association.

He is survived his sisters, Elaine Freeman and her husband Denny of Edmond, Okla., and Nina Bitely of Grady; four nieces and nephews, Matthew McBryde and his wife, Denise of Mabelvale, Amber McBryde Usrey and her husband, Bryan of Marion, Carey Lee Freeman of Edmond, Okla., and Casey Lyn Freeman of Irving, Texas; and a great niece, Sabrina Usrey of Marion.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

The family will receive friends today, Aug. 12, 2009, from 6 to 8 p.m., at Robinson’s.

Funeral services are scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009, 10:30 a.m., at Linwood Baptist Church. Burial will follow in Nicholson Cemetery at Tamo.

The family will be at 316 Tamo River Road in Tamo.

The family has requested that memorials take the form of contributions to your local band program or your favorite charity.

Print this story   |   Email this story