He was a member of North Cleveland Baptist Church. He was a retired minister of the gospel of Christ and pastored many churches in the East Tennessee area.
He attended the Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary and was a graduate of New Orleans Baptist Seminary.
He was a former director of the Bradley County Baptist Association. He was a member of the United Tennessee League of Nashville, pioneering anti-drug programs in public schools in 1970s through the 1980s.
He was a veteran of the United States Army, serving in the Normandy Invasion, Northern France and Rhineland during World War II, where he received three Bronze Stars.
He was the son of the late James A. Gentry and Addie Raines Gentry. He was also preceded in death by his wife, Vera Mae Lee Gentry.
He is survived by his son, Anthony “Tony” L. Gentry and wife, Nancy Zima Gentry, of Ringgold, Ga.; daughter, Melissa Phillips of Cleveland; granddaughter, Leigha Nicole Phillips of Cleveland; and several nieces and nephews.
A graveside service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010, at Hilcrest Memorial Gardens with the Rev. Jay McCluskey officiating. Military honors will be held with a white dove release ceremony concluding the service.
The family will receive friends 5 to 8 p.m. today at Ralph Buckner Funeral Home.
We invite you to send a message of condolence and view the Gentry family guestbook at www.ralphbuckner.com.
