John Franklin Tawney, Sr.

RALEIGH- John Franklin Tawney, Sr. 76, died Saturday. A native of Kanawha County WV, he was the son of the late Kelly and Rhoda Ford Tawney.A US Navy Veteran, he was the Past Master of the Garner Masonic Lodge 701 and served as secretary for 17 years. John was a member of the York Rite, Amran Shrine Temple, served as Past Royal Patron of the Order of the Amranth and served several times as Worthy Patron with Garner Order of the Eastern Star 321. Funeral services will be Tuesday at 11:00 AM at Bryan-Lee Funeral Chapel, Garner.Burial will follow at Montlawn Memorial Park with Masonic Rites.He is survived by his wife; Helen Jean Murray Tawney; daughters, Rhoda Marie Tawney Blake and husband, Joseph of Benson, Kathryn Tawney Grady of Willow Spring, Kaye Tawney Wise and husband, Tommy of Fuquay-Varina, Anita Faith Tawney of Raleigh; son, Marvin Wayne Tawney of Virginia Beach, VA; sister, Linda Tawney McGucken of WV; brothers, Joseph W. Tawney of WV, Edward Tawney of AZ, Donald Tawney of IN, Kelly Tawney of WV; grandchildren, John TJ Blake and wife Malia, Lisa Wise Herndon and husband T.J., Jessica Wise, Ashley Wise, Jason Honeycutt, Cortney Parsons, Tasha Tawney; great-grandchildren, Tyler Blake, Brooklyn Blake, Makalah Herndon, and Jordan Herndon; and numerous nieces and nephews.In addition to his parents, Mr. Tawney was preceded in death by his son John Tawney, Jr. and brother William Tawney.The family will receive friends from 6-8 PM Monday at the funeral home.In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Garner Masonic Lodge 701, P.O. Box 67, Garner NC 27529, or in Johns memory to the USS Murray, c/o Neal DenBleyker, 4602 Beef St., Syracuse NY 13215.