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Durley Young McLarty
June 30, 2026
COOKEVILLE CHAPEL - Funeral services for Durley Young McLarty, age 93, were held Saturday, June 27, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. at Jefferson Avenue Church of Christ. Interment with military honors was followed at Cookeville City Cemetery. His sons, Dr. Bruce McLarty and Dr. Karl McLarty, officiated.
His family received friends Friday from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and again Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until the service at the church.
Durley Young McLarty, born May 24, 1933, in Lafayette County, Mississippi, passed away on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Cookeville, Tennessee, after living a very active life until a recent illness.
In the US Air Force, Durley served honorably as a Typhoon chaser in the Pacific. Following his military service, he returned to the States and married Sue Birdwell in 1956. They then moved to Cookeville, where Durley earned a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Tennessee Polytechnic Institute, now Tennessee Tech University. Years later, he earned a master’s degree in Engineering from the former Memphis State University. His entire career (1960 - 1992) was spent working for the US Army Corps of Engineers with concentrations in flood management and planning.
After becoming a Christian at the age of 28, his faith defined his life. For more than four decades, he served the churches of Christ as an elder, beginning with the Holmes Road Church of Christ in Memphis in 1973 and later continuing at the Collegeside Church of Christ in Cookeville when the McLartys returned to Middle Tennessee in 1995. In his final years, he found special joy in teaching the Early Bird Wednesday afternoon Bible class at the Jefferson Ave. congregation in Cookeville. As his professional career began to wind down, Durley became deeply involved in foreign mission work and the Sojourners ministry. He made over forty missionary trips to Mexico to construct church buildings, and extended his mission efforts to Ukraine, Singapore, and Japan-contributions that left a significant and lasting impact on both the faith communities he served and the countless individuals who benefited from his labor and leadership.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 70 years, Johnnie Sue Birdwell McLarty; their children Bruce (Ann) McLarty of Cookeville, Kim (Bill) Johnson of Gahanna, Ohio, Karen (Wade) Crabb of Lebanon, Ohio, and Karl (Sandy) McLarty of Searcy, Arkansas; and his cherished grandchildren, Charity McLarty, Jessica (Michael) Martin, Kaleb (Alissa) McLarty, Joshua McLarty, Paul (Ellie) McLarty, Rebecca Johnson, Eric (Erin) Johnson, Callie (Connor) Newsom Kim (Bill) Johnson of Gahanna, Ohio, and Cory Crabb; and a list of great-grandchildren that continues to grow.
Durley was preceded in death by his father, Dewey McLarty, and his mother, Dura Gardner McLarty, three infant daughters, Jean, Jane, and Joan; as well as by four brothers and a sister.
Serving as pallbearers are Kaleb McLarty, Joshua McLarty, Paul McLarty, Eric Johnson, Cory Crabb, Michael Martin, Connor Newsom, and Eli McCumpsey.
The family requests that memorial contributions be made to Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Effort, PO Box 111180, Nashville, TN 37222-1180.
Hooper, Huddleston & Horner Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. (931)526-6111. Share memories and condolences at www.hhhfunerals.com.
His family received friends Friday from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and again Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until the service at the church.
Durley Young McLarty, born May 24, 1933, in Lafayette County, Mississippi, passed away on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Cookeville, Tennessee, after living a very active life until a recent illness.
In the US Air Force, Durley served honorably as a Typhoon chaser in the Pacific. Following his military service, he returned to the States and married Sue Birdwell in 1956. They then moved to Cookeville, where Durley earned a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Tennessee Polytechnic Institute, now Tennessee Tech University. Years later, he earned a master’s degree in Engineering from the former Memphis State University. His entire career (1960 - 1992) was spent working for the US Army Corps of Engineers with concentrations in flood management and planning.
After becoming a Christian at the age of 28, his faith defined his life. For more than four decades, he served the churches of Christ as an elder, beginning with the Holmes Road Church of Christ in Memphis in 1973 and later continuing at the Collegeside Church of Christ in Cookeville when the McLartys returned to Middle Tennessee in 1995. In his final years, he found special joy in teaching the Early Bird Wednesday afternoon Bible class at the Jefferson Ave. congregation in Cookeville. As his professional career began to wind down, Durley became deeply involved in foreign mission work and the Sojourners ministry. He made over forty missionary trips to Mexico to construct church buildings, and extended his mission efforts to Ukraine, Singapore, and Japan-contributions that left a significant and lasting impact on both the faith communities he served and the countless individuals who benefited from his labor and leadership.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 70 years, Johnnie Sue Birdwell McLarty; their children Bruce (Ann) McLarty of Cookeville, Kim (Bill) Johnson of Gahanna, Ohio, Karen (Wade) Crabb of Lebanon, Ohio, and Karl (Sandy) McLarty of Searcy, Arkansas; and his cherished grandchildren, Charity McLarty, Jessica (Michael) Martin, Kaleb (Alissa) McLarty, Joshua McLarty, Paul (Ellie) McLarty, Rebecca Johnson, Eric (Erin) Johnson, Callie (Connor) Newsom Kim (Bill) Johnson of Gahanna, Ohio, and Cory Crabb; and a list of great-grandchildren that continues to grow.
Durley was preceded in death by his father, Dewey McLarty, and his mother, Dura Gardner McLarty, three infant daughters, Jean, Jane, and Joan; as well as by four brothers and a sister.
Serving as pallbearers are Kaleb McLarty, Joshua McLarty, Paul McLarty, Eric Johnson, Cory Crabb, Michael Martin, Connor Newsom, and Eli McCumpsey.
The family requests that memorial contributions be made to Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Effort, PO Box 111180, Nashville, TN 37222-1180.
Hooper, Huddleston & Horner Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. (931)526-6111. Share memories and condolences at www.hhhfunerals.com.
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