Robert Thomas Marcley

     Robert Thomas Marcley, age 61, of Dandridge, passed away Friday, May 27, 2022. He was born into a loving family headed by John and Alma. Robert was one of eight children where family has always been a priority. Rob is survived by his wife and best friend of 33 plus years, Charlyn; his precious mom, Alma Hurlburt of Amityville, NY; brother, John (Mabel) Marcley of Knoxville; sisters, Susan (Ron) Spadaro of Keene, NH, Ann (Sandy) Dunn, of Amityville, NY, Marion (Jim) Johnson of Amityville, NY, Marcella (Greg) Weegar of Amityville, NY, Allison (Josh) Belkin of Phoenix, AZ; brother in law, Harry (Sandrine) Munniksma of Ocala, FL; fifteen nephews and nieces; numerous great nephews and nieces; and fur baby, Sassy.

     Rob’s work experience crossed both blue- and white-collar worlds. He started as a welder/fabricator, even working briefly on the now destroyed Twin Towers in Manhattan. After meeting Char, he went back to school for an accounting degree then earned his CPA in NY. His first accounting job was with Price Waterhouse Coopers. Other firms that used his financial skills included various Fortune 500 companies such as Bank of America, TIAA, and McDonald’s. He also owned his own consulting firm, Real World Consulting, providing financial modeling for commercial real estate firms.

     The seeds of faith planted during childhood in his devout Catholic home sprouted through a Southern Baptist church in Connecticut. A work acquaintance invited him to a revival and it was there that the Holy Spirit used a bible verse, Hebrews 3:7-9 to breakdown his resistance to God’s call on his life. It states, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion on the day of testing…” In response, he met with the Pastor in a rental car in the parking lot of his workplace. There he asked questions about the Christian faith and by the end of their discussion, had repented of sin and asked Jesus Christ to cover his sins with His blood and transfer Christ’s righteousness to him. From there, he was mentored in his faith by the Pastor using Christian teaching programs called MasterLife and Christian Survival Kit.

     A few years later, Rob moved back to Long Island and met his wife, Char, at a church outing. Wanting to sing a solo at his church, he asked char to be his piano accompanist and as they used to joke, they began making beautiful music together ever since. They married in June of 1988, and have shared many wonderful memories together in homes in NY, FL, and finally, TN. They enjoyed times at the beach and lake and wonderful trips and cruises together. Watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy was a nightly ritual. Char’s parents called Rob their “son-in-love’ and he truly lived that out by participating in caregiving to both of her parents with Char for almost a decade until they moved on to glory. It is a comforting thought that they are now reunited in Heaven with so many others that have gone before.

     Because of his gratitude for what Jesus had done for him, Rob always had a heart for service to others. In the secular world, he volunteered for Meals on Wheels, and Big Brother for an inner-city young man. He also mentored several young neighbors from a single parent home and had a heart to support orphans. Robert also did accounting and was on the board of Sunshine Acres, a Christian summer camp for inner-city children. Within the church, he led worship and volunteered for the audio-visual team in a small Florida church. He also volunteered on church committees, youth group, sang in multiple church choirs, participated in security teams in two TN churches, taught Sunday School, and small group bible studies. His knowledge of scripture for a non-seminarian always astonished his wife.

     Perhaps his most challenging but rewarding career move was as Church Administrator on the Ministry Team for First Baptist Church Morristown. Many knew him for his bright smile and fun sense of humor as he greeted worshipers entering the church. Behind the scenes, he was responsible for the churches financial well being and facility protection with much help from the Lord and great staff and committee members. He oversaw staffing, vendors, budget planning and reporting, banking and tax reporting in cooperation with accountants and applicable committee members. Moreover, he directed maintenance projects, security concerns, participated on the benevolence team and multiple committee meetings, even managing a cemetery for a time.

     He would give all the glory to the Lord he loved and served as well as to an excellent group of ministers, staff, and volunteers helping these efforts. He would also be incredibly grateful to all family, friends, the ministers and church members that showed him and his wife so much love and generosity during his illness. Words cannot express their gratitude for all the love poured out upon us.

      Rob, known for his cheerful spirit, would want his memorial service at First Baptist Church Morristown to be a celebration of his life and graduation to Heaven, more than a time of sorrow. He will be greatly missed, but our Christian faith assures us that one day we will be reunited, never to be separated again. All praise to God who so loved us that He sent His son to die for us and rise again so believing in Him we don’t have to fear death. He is now more alive than ever!

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