Gordon Chester Pearman, Jr., 75, of Tifton died Tuesday, May 12, 2009, at Tift Regional Medical Center. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, May 15, 2009, at Eastside Baptist Church. Rev. Charlie G. Cooper of Savannah will officiate with burial to follow in Mount Zion Baptist Church Cemetery in Chula. Matt Pearman, Ben Pearman, John Muirhead, Andrew Humphrey, Scott McBrayer and Sonny Johnson will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be the deacons of Eastside Baptist Church. The family will receive friends on Thursday, May 14, 2009, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals.
Mr. Pearman was born on March 14, 1934 in Tift County and was the son of Gordon C. Pearman, Sr. and Effie Elizabeth Graves Pearman, both deceased. He was also preceded in death by one sister, Frances Helen White. Gordon lived most of his life in Tift County, except for 27 years in Savannah from 1962-1989. He was a faithful member and deacon of Eastside Baptist Church, where he taught the Senior Adult Ladies Sunday School class for many years. He was retired from the U. S. Department of Agriculture after 31 years of service; retired from the Georgia Agrirama after 10 years of services, where he continued as a volunteer for several years. He was an avid wood-worker and spent many happy hours in his wood-working shop.
Mr. Pearman is survived by his wife, Merle Vela Walker Pearman of Tifton. They were married on June 7, 1959 and would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on June 7, 2009. He is also survived by one son and daughter-in-law, Terry Gordon Pearman and his wife, Monica Elaine Grover Pearman, of Douglasville; one daughter and son-in-law, Leslie Muirhead Jones and her husband, Daryl Paul Jones, of Covington; one brother, James Curtis Pearman of Chula; and nine grandchildren, Lindsey Caroline Muirhead of Conyers, Laura Catherine Muirhead Butler and her husband, Gary Patrick Butler, of Covington, John Thomas Muirhead, Jr. of Conyers, Elizabeth Joy Pearman, Matthew Gordon Pearman, Benjamin Charles Pearman and Rebekah Grace Pearman, all of Douglasville, and Vickie Kimberly Jones and Daniel Daryl Jones, both of Eastborne East Sussex, England; one great grandchild, Marshall Jones of Eastborne East Sussex, England; and several nieces and nephews.
Flowers will be accepted or donations may be made to the Eastside Baptist Church Building Fund.