A. L. Spaulding passed away at his home in Calvin on Tuesday evening, September 7, 2015, at the age of 84 years.

A. L. was the son of Aaron Jefferson Spaulding & Nancie Leatha (McWhorter) Spaulding, born on August 11, 1931, in Norman, Oklahoma. He was brought up and attended schools throughout Cleveland County, in Norman, Pink, and east of Moore. He graduated 8th grade at Center Point and shortly thereafter, at the age of 14, left home and went to work following the Kansas wheat harvest. After several years in Kansas, he returned to Oklahoma and worked hauling hay.

When he was 19, A. L. joined the U.S. Navy and served four years during the Korean War, more than three years of duty served overseas or at sea. In the middle of it all, he married Nancy Jane Knowles on January 15, 1952, in Norman. Following military service, he attended Oklahoma City University for two years, and received a diploma for automobile body/fender school. He worked in various service stations in the Oklahoma City area and purchased several of his own, at one time owning and operating three stations in the Tinker Air Force Base area of Midwest City. He worked as service manager for Goodyear in Oklahoma City. He opened A. L. Spaulding Auto Salvage and, during the ten years he ran that business, also helped to start the Oklahoma Auto Salvage Dealer Association.

A. L. & Nancy moved to Calvin in 1981, where A. L. went to work at a service station. A. L. surrendered to the call to ministry, and they moved to Atoka to pastor the First Pentecostal Holiness Church of Atoka. A. L. was 63 years old when he began pastoring, and enjoyed seven years before failing health forced him to resign his church. They returned to Calvin, and A. L. took up woodworking. He was happiest when he was working, and enjoyed his hobby, particularly building knick-knack shelves.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Aaron & Nancie Spaulding; three sisters: Neva Jo Knowles, Virginia McGhee, and Juanita Chambers.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 63 years, Nancy, of the home; two sons, Leonard Alan Spaulding of Tecumseh, and Tommy Dean Spaulding of Carlyle, Illinois; five grandchildren: Lynette Lister (J. R.) of Tecumseh, Duane Alan Spaulding (Shelly) of Houston, Texas, Tristin Spaulding, Austin Spaulding, and Ethan Spaulding, all of Carlyle, IL; one step granddaughter, Autumn Walker of Carlyle, IL; six great grandchildren: James Richard Lister IV, Alan Lewis, Kyla Lister, Carter Spaulding, Bailey Spaulding, Shayla Caskey; three brothers: Pat Spaulding (Rachel) of Norman, Monroe Ben Spaulding (Susie) of Oklahoma City, and Donald Ray Spaulding of Bethel Springs, Texas; numerous nieces and nephews, other relatives, and many friends.

Funeral services were held on Wednesday, September 9, 2015, 10:00 a.m. at Friendship Pentecostal Church in Oklahoma City, and A. L. was laid to rest in Schwartz Cemetery. Rev. Lewis Hawkins and Rev. Bob Merrill were the officiating ministers. Pallbearers were J. R. Lister, Alan Lister, Courtney Stevenson, Garrett Mantooth, Robert Attkisson, and Roy Biddle. Honorary pallbearers were Duane Spaulding, Jimmy Lister, Herschel Howes, Wesley Hawkins, Danny Attkisson, Perry Scroggins, and Russell Smith.