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Dr. Tracy Stallings

Obituary

Dr. Tracy Putnam Stallings, age 75, of Bradley Street, Carrollton, died November 18, 2008.

A native of Carroll County, Tracy Stallings attended local schools. He was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Georgia in journalism, holds a master's degree in counseling from the University of West Georgia, and has a Ph.D. in educational leadership from Georgia State University.

He began a journalism career as a sportswriter at the Carroll County Georgian while a sophomore at Carrollton High School, and he continued his journalism career after college as a reporter and editorial writer on The Atlanta Journal for three years. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.

He then served at the University of West Georgia for more than three decades. He was at various times Director of College Relations, Dean of Student Affairs, and Director of Continuing Education. During the 1960s, he conducted "college day" programs at high schools all over the state of Georgia and recruited thousands of students to attend the institution.

His political career included six years as a member of the Carrollton Board of Education, nearly 14 years as mayor of the city of Carrollton, and he served from 1994 to 2002 as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives, where he was vice-chairman of the Banks and Banking Committee and was a member of the Higher Education and Retirement Committees. He was serving as a consultant to the Southwire Company in Carrollton.

He has been a deacon and chairman of deacons at First Baptist Church, former president of the Carrollton Rotary Club, Judge Advocate and Senior Vice Commander of American Legion Post 143, former president of the Georgia Municipal Association, and former chairman of the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. Among many honors, he was named Young Man of the Year in 1963 and Citizen of the Year in Carroll County in 1982. He was a member of Forrest's Escort, Number 1239 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. He was also a member of the board of the Carrollton Housing Authority and a member of the Pathways Center Community Service Board.

He and his wife, the former Shirley Crawford of Haralson County, have four children and 13 grandchildren. For more than three decades, they operated retail businesses in Carrollton, Bowdon, Newnan and Bremen. For more than two decades, he has served as a member of the Board of Directors of Citizens Bank and Trust.

Stallings' hobbies include collecting old western novels, writing lyrics for country and gospel songs, playing the violin, and collecting antique stock and bond certificates.

One of the unusual things that happened to him during his career in the Legislature was an appearance on "The Montel Williams Show" out of New York City in October 2000, as a result of a debate that occurred on the floor of the Georgia House earlier that year.

He was born in the Carroll County community of Cross Plains just outside of Carrollton on December 4, 1932.

Preceding him in death were his mother, Ellen Putnam Stallings Adams, his father, Raymond Horace Stallings, and a sister, Mrs. Wallace (Charlcie) Lambert.

Surviving are his wife, Shirley Crawford Stallings; daughter, Mrs. Woodie (Beverley) Lowery of Sylacauga, Alabama; daughter, Mrs. Randy (Pam) Almon, Carrollton; daughter, Shannon Lipham of Carrollton; son, Scott Stallings of Newnan; grandchildren, Grant Roddenberry of Pennington Gap, Virginia, Mrs. Will (Tracy Jo) Hill of Vance, Alabama, Ali, Adam and Ansley Almon, all of Carrollton, John and Gracie Stallings of Marietta, and Blair Reese Lipham of Carrollton; a great granddaughter, Bella Jo Hill of Vance, Alabama; step mother-in-law, Arbelle Crawford of Haralson County; brother-in-law, Wallace T. Lambert of Bowdon Junction; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Pat and Chuck Crawford of Bowdon Junction; four step- grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be conducted Sunday, Nov. 23 at 2 p.m. from the First Baptist Church, Carrollton, with Dr. Steve Davis, Mr. Wayne Garner and Ms. Shannon Lipham officiating.

Music will be by Terry and Julie Lowry, and Leah Singleton.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home Saturday, Nov. 22 from 3 to 5 and from 6 to 8 p.m.

Pallbearers include Jimmy Tuggle, Reed Tanner, Johnny Tanner, Will Hill, Randy Almon, Adam Almon, Luke Lipham, Steve Kohlhagen and Michael Aiken.

Honorary pallbearers include Sam Eady, Ray Adams, Harold Miles, Roy Johnson, Dr. Bruce Lyon, Dr. Bill Copeland, Dr. Peter Worthy, Wayne Garner, Win Hill, Ken Tuggle, Herb Smith, Mr. And Mrs. George Akin, Mr. & Mrs, Preston Smith, Mr. & Mrs. Gordon Brown, Ms. Jean Jones, Mr. & Mrs. Ray Miller, Mrs. Jean Grice, Dr. David Griffin, Dr. George Astin, Jim Gill, Stanley Tate, Bill Fullilove, A.R. McGukin, Dr. John T. Lewis, Pastor Allen Howard, The Carrollton Rotary Club and The American Legion Post 143.

In lieu of flowers those desiring may make a contribution to The Chromosome 18 Registry and Research Society, 7155 Oakridge Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78229, www.Chromosome18.org.

Interment will follow in the Carrollton City Cemetery, with the American Legion Post 143 folding and presenting the American flag.

Messages of condolences may be sent to the family online at www.almonfuneralhome.com.

Almon Funeral Home of Carrollton, Ga., in charge of arrangements.