Mr. Jack Lynn Tankersley, age 87, of Dalton, Georgia, departed this life Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at a local hospital.

Jack was born January 23, 1939, in Loudon County, Tennessee, a son of the late Clarence Virgil and Anna Louise Jenkins Tankersley. He was also preceded in death by his brothers, Billy G. Tankersley, Leroy Tankersley, and Bobby Joe Tankersley; his sisters, Charlotte Faye (Jack) Culberson and Patricia Ann Hooker; and his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Jessie Butler, Tommy Butler, Bernice Boker, and Ruby Saylor.

Jack was a 1957 graduate of North Whitfield High School and proudly served his country in the United States Army. After learning the barber trade while serving in the military, he continued his training through an apprenticeship under Jay Etheridge at Jay’s Barber Shop. In 1969, that shop became Jack’s Barber Shop, where he faithfully served his customers and community until the business was destroyed by fire in 2007. He then joined his longtime friends and fellow barbers, Frank Fetzer and Church Clark, at Dalton Barber Shop, where he continued doing what he loved until his passing.

Jack was a quiet and gentle man who never needed to be the center of attention. His kindness, humility, and genuine love for people spoke for him. He cared deeply for his family, his friends, his customers, and his community. He was a hardworking man who took great pride in his work and remained faithful to the things that mattered most to him throughout his life.

Jack also possessed an extraordinary love and talent for music. A faithful member of the Church of God of the Union Assembly, he played in the church band and was a professional musician who could play many instruments, but the banjo held a special place in his heart. His musical ability was matched by his creativity and craftsmanship—he actually built his own banjo, a remarkable testament to his talent, patience, and love for the music he cherished.

Over the years, Jack had the privilege of playing music with many talented and well-known musicians, including the Brewer Brothers, the White Oak Mountain Boys, Del McCoury, and Roland White. Yet some of his fondest musical memories were likely the simple times spent picking and jamming with friends and fellow musicians, including the crew at the barber shop. For Jack, music was not simply something he played; it was something he shared with others and a part of the joy he found in life.

Jack loved life, but above all, he loved his family. He met the love of his life, Bertie Butler Tankersley, at Dooley’s Chapel Church in Claxton, Tennessee. They were married on July 3, 1978, and shared forty-eight wonderful years together. Their life together was built upon love, faithfulness, family, and the quiet devotion they shared for one another.

Jack leaves behind his beloved wife, Bertie Butler Tankersley; daughter, Deidria Tankersley of Knoxville, Tennessee; sons, Matt Tankersley and Katie Mathis of Atlanta, Georgia, and Jackie Lynn Tankersley, Jr.; grandson, Tucker Lynn Tankersley; sister, Barbara Tankersley, all of Dalton, Georgia; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Barbara Tankersley of Dalton, Georgia, Ernest Hooker of Florida, Alonza and Charlene Butler, Pearl Dyer, Betty and Rev. Herman Epperson, and Toni Butler, all of Knoxville, Tennessee, Rev. Herbie and Tina Butler of Rock Hill, South Carolina, and Clara and Gene Scalf of Dalton, Georgia; along with several nieces, nephews, cousins, and many friends who will cherish his memory.

Though Jack may have been a man of quiet stature, he was a giant in the things that truly matter. He was a giant in his faithfulness, a giant in his love for his family, a giant in his devotion to his work, and a giant in the kindness he showed to others. He did not seek recognition for the life he lived; he simply lived it faithfully loving his family, working with his hands, making music, serving his church, and giving generously of the gifts God had given him.

Jack leaves behind more than memories. He leaves behind the music he made, the work of his hands, the people he touched, the family he loved, and a legacy of quiet faithfulness that will continue through those who knew and loved him. His life was a beautiful reminder that greatness is not measured by stature or by how loudly a person speaks, but by the love they give, the lives they touch, and the faithfulness with which they live.

Services to celebrate the life of Mr. Jack Lynn Tankersley will be held Sunday, September 27, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. at the Church of God of the Union Assembly, 2211 S. Dixie Hwy, Dalton, Georgia, with Reverend Chastin Moodey, Reverend Dale Brewer, and Reverend Stoney Kiser officiating.

Click here to view services of Mr. Jack Tankersley

He will be laid to rest at Spring Place Memorial Gardens in Spring Place, Georgia. Matt Tankersley, Jackie Tankersley, Franklin Mallett, Jadren Butler, Alonzo “Dono” Butler, and Herbie Butler will have the honor of serving as pallbearers. Military graveside honors will be provided by American Legion Post #112.

The family will receive friends at Ponders Melrose Chapel from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Saturday and after 11:00 a.m. Sunday until the service hour.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Ponders Melrose Chapel, 138 Melrose Drive, Dalton, Georgia 30721, (706) 226-4002.

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