Jack Barton Bales

Jack Barton Bales was born in Kingsport on December 15, 1941, and passed into the arms of Jesus Wednesday, December 9, at home in his favorite chair, beside his beloved wife. He was preceded in death by his parents John Barton and Grace Johnson Bales as well as his father and mother-in-law Roy and Iva Hensley McAmis, his younger brother Michael Howard Bales, his sister Fran Watkins her husband Jim, and his brother-in-law Don McAmis.

Jack graduated from Sullivan High School in 1959 and the University of Tennessee with a Chemical Engineering degree in 1964 while working alternate quarters in the Co-op Program at Eastman. Jack then traveled the world for Eastman Chemical Company. He was involved in many service groups and projects in the Kingsport community including the United Way and the Sullivan County Imagination Library. He was proudest of his service on the Sullivan County Board of Education and spent many hours studying the finances until he became an expert on how to redirect the overhead being spent in schools that were not fully occupied into to newer schools and consolidations. His greatest goal was to increase teachers’ salaries in the county to levels commensurate with the cities.

Jack was a member and Elder of Bethel Presbyterian Church where he served many terms on the board.

Left to cherish his memory is his wife of 57 years Evelyn McAmis Bales, their children Barton McAmis Bales, Kara Elaine Bales, Benjamin Montgomery Bales and Ben’s wife C.C. Chervenka Bales and their precious grandchildren Aislee M’Lynn, Callan Montgomery and Raewynn Marie Bales. He also leaves his brothers John William Bales, Sr., (Teresa) and Pierce Durham ( Masako), his sisters-in-law Avis Reid and Nancy Slagle and brother-in-law Wayne McAmis (Jo), special nieces Donna and Joe Fleming and their daughter Jodee, and Pamela and Steve Butcher, many nieces and nephews that he loved as his own and his beloved Sullivan High School Class of 1959.

Jack wished to be cremated and have his ashes spread here on the ridge in Poplar Grove where he played as a child and where he and Evelyn spent many joyful years together. A celebration of life will be announced at a later date.

If you would like to make a donation to the Sullivan County Imagination Library www.scimaginationlibrary.org, Jack would be mighty pleased. If not, go home and kiss your loved ones as often as you can. Since we can’t have a formal celebration of  his life, keep those cards, letters and phone calls going to your family and friends until this pandemic is conquered.