James "Pete" Ewell Barkley

James Ewell “Pete” Barkley, 89, a long-time resident of Dothan passed away to be with his Lord Jesus Christ on May 12, 2026, at his home surrounded by family members.

Celebration of Life services will be held at 2:00pm on Friday, May 15, 2026, in the chapel of First Baptist Church with Dr. Taylor Rutland officiating. The family will receive friends from 1:00pm-2:00pm on Friday at First Baptist Church.

Pete was born April 25, 1937, in Dothan to Amos Emory and Toye Barkley.

After graduating from Dothan High School in 1955, Pete served in The Air National Guard, including manning a radar station in Florida during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. He developed an interest in trucking early in life as he accompanied his father (a road driver with a local trucking company at the time) on road trips between Dothan and Birmingham. He began his career in the trucking business at GFA Transportation, working his way from billing clerk to the General Office. He then moved on to AAA Motor Lines in Dothan, alongside his close friend, Mack Dove. He learned to drive, deliver and pick up freight, and operate a terminal. He then left AAA to become Terminal Manager at A-OK Motor Lines, then later taking the same position at Georgia Highway Express in Dothan. He was promoted to Terminal Manager in Macon, GA in 1968. At that time the Macon facility as the 2nd largest terminal in the company.

In 1973, Pete was asked by Mack to return to Dothan to help with the merger of AAA Motor Lines & Cooper Transfer Co. He became General Manager of the new company, AAA Cooper Transportation. The company flourished under his leadership, becoming a nationally respected corporation. Pete retired as AAA Cooper’s Chief Operating Officer in 2005. He was an avid golfer, fisherman and hunter. He enjoyed watching John Wayne movies and spending time with his family. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Dothan and the Men’s Sunday School class there. He believed deeply in loyalty to The United States of America. He also was a huge supporter of the Alabama Crimson Tide and was a Scholarship Club member of The University of Alabama.

He is preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Joyce Dotsun.

He is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Sara Tomlin Barkley of Dothan, and his three sons, Dr. Thomas Jackson “Jack” Barkley (Becky) of Dothan, James Emory “Jimmy” Barkley (Martha) of Pass Christian, MS and Jason Edward Barkley (Mary Elizabeth) of Panama City Beach, FL; his eight grandchildren: Amanda Katheryn Montgomery (Trey) of Dothan, Caroline Louise Barkley of Raleigh, NC, James Hunter Barkley (Kelsey) of Dothan, Eva Elizabeth Adams (Roane) of Mobile, Allyson Christine Murray (Matt) of Birmingham, Sara Melissa McKean (Walt) of Mobile, Jason Reeves Barkley of Marathon, FL, Lilia Elizabeth Barkley of Gainesville, GA; his 4 great-grandchildren, along with several nieces & nephews.

Serving as active pallbearers will be Hunter Barkley, Reeves Barkley, Trey Montgomery, Roane Adams, Matt Murray, and Walt McKean.

Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Rut Crawford, Mack Dove, Ken Hayes, Pat Heffner and Joe Thomas.