Clyde "Tim" Maynard Earley, Jr.

Clyde Maynard Earley, Jr, 98, of Sylacauga, passed away on November 21, 2024. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He was known to his family and close friends as ‘Tim’ and ‘Pop’ to his grands and great-grands. 

Tim was born on February 7, 1926 to Clyde, Sr. and Bessie Earley. He grew up in Brookside and Woodlawn area of Birmingham. He went to Phillips High School before dropping out to join the Navy. He was part of the gun crew on the USS Honolulu CL-48, aka “The Blue Goose”. Tim visited Haiti, Jamaica, and Cuba while in World War II. He was in the Navy for 2 years, 10 months, and 20 days. He liked to quote his service time when asked. After he was honorably discharged from the Navy, he obtained his GED and attended a year of college before beginning employment in the steel industry. He retired from Industrial Fabricators, where he served as shop foreman, after over 40 years in the industry.

Tim loved to tell the story of hearing a girl laughing next door while visiting his grandmother. He said he just had to meet that girl. Sara Montez Wilkinson (Tump) was that girl and she became his bride on Christmas Eve in 1948. They lived in Beechwood, Inglenook, Tarrant, then retired to Sylacauga on Lay Lake in a house that Tim built on summer weekends over a few years. They were married for almost 74 years. While his wife was living in a memory care nursing home, he visited her almost every day even when she slowly began not to recognize him as her husband any longer. He said she was the love of his life and he missed her every day after she passed in 2022. 

Tim enjoyed gardening, building/repairing most anything, watching college football/softball/basketball and in his earlier years enjoyed coaching little league baseball/softball for his children. He and Tump loved to travel to see their grandchildren in sports, school plays, and dance/cheer.

Tim was preceded in death by his wife; his oldest daughter, Terri Edwards; his youngest daughter, Traci Earley; his parents; and his two sisters, Joyce Brooks and Francis Ingram. He is survived by his two brothers, Jimmy Earley, Frankie Earley; his son, Tim Earley (Gill); two daughters, Tammy Bartow (Murry), Tina Earley-Smithson (Rusty); son-in-law, Mike Edwards; 10 grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren. 

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Clyde Earley’s name to Fayetteville Methodist Church located at 5441 Old Fayetteville Road in Sylacauga, AL 35151; the Alzheimer’s Association; or your favorite charity.