Mar 12, 2013

Willis Guy “Willie Joe” Conklin, 85, of Washington, died at 6:06 a.m. Thursday, March 7, 2013, in Washington Hospital, after a brief illness.

He was born October 20, 1927, in Sparta, a son of Guy and Jessie Curry Conklin.

Mr. Conklin was employed at the George Washington hotel in the maintenance department. He also was employed for Al Metzner’s and Snowy White Laundry Apartment Building as the manager and also worked in maintenance at Western Center in the water filtration department.

He attended Sparta Pennsylvania schools and Amity schools and was a graduate of Trinity High School in 1946.

Mr. Conklin served in the U.S. Army stationed in Japan from 1946 to 1951.

On January 10, 1955, he married Edna Mae Pettit, who died June 12, 2002.

Surviving are a daughter, Sandy (Howard) Conklin Bowman of Washington; a granddaughter, Susan V. Parkinson of Houston; four stepdaughters, Wilma (Arnold) Schulte of Ashtabula, Ohio, Nancy Carter of Washington, Grace Hawkins of Canonsburg and Bonnie Neely (Don Lachman) of Claysville; two stepsons, Herbert E. “Skip” Hawkins (Mary Bodecker) of Ashtabula and Lowe “Michael” Hawkins Sr. of Houston; a nephew, Gene Conklin of California; 20 grandchildren; 40 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

Deceased are two stepsons, Charles Hawkins and Harold L. “Butch” Hawkins; two great-grandsons, Lowe Hawkins III and Dustin J. Gregg; four brothers, Harry, Eugene, Lloyd and Walter Conklin; and a niece, Virginia “Sis” Gillogly.

At the request of the deceased, there will be no public visitation. Burial will be private. Arrangements are under the direction of Warco-Falvo Funeral Home Inc., Wilson at East Katherine avenues, Washington, S. Timothy Warco, supervisor/director, Susan Falvo Warco, director, S. Timothy Warco II, director. Condolences may be expressed at www.WarcoFalvoFuneralHome.com.