John R. Lively, age 74 of Empire arrived home to be with Jesus on Thursday, July 11, 2019.  Funeral services will be 10:00 AM Tuesday, July 16, 2019 at Bell Sumiton Chapel with burial in Dilworth Cemetery.  Rev. Marlin Eddy will officiate.  Visitation will be 6:00 to 8:00 Monday at the funeral home.

Preceding him in death were his parents, Claude C. and Rosa Gunter Lively; wife, Bernice Lively; three sisters and two brothers.

Survivors include his wife, Linda B. Lively; children, Ted Snow (Diane), Teresa Lively, Angela Howard (Danny), Cheryl Lively, Carol Jones (Bobby), Sterling Cooksey; and Teresa Figueroa; grandchildren, Sherry Lott, Wendy Bridier, Ashley Ponds (Brad), Jonathan Snow, Thomas McMahan (Keli), Melissa Campbell (Randy), Rachel Boehnke (Robert), Alyssa Humphreys (Curtis), Brett Howard, Brittany Crump (BJ), Paul Bennett, Daniel Mitchell, Wendy Hillman, Chase Tolbert, Laura Tolbert, and Amber Herron; 18 great grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild