Mr. Kelly Lamar Koonce, age 75, of Summerville, GA, died Wednesday, December 16, 2015, at Oxton Place in Rome, GA.

Mr. Koonce was born October, 4, 1940, in Berryton, GA, son of the late George Melvin and Flora Ruth Jones Koonce.  He was retired from GTE Telephone Company.  Mr. Koonce was a member of the Trion Golf Club and the LaFayette Golf Course Club.  He was a veteran of the United States Army and was also a member of the American Legion Post 129.  In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brothers, G.W. Koonce and Robert "Rip" Koonce; and a sister, Jimmie Koonce Searles.

Mr. Koonce is survived by his wife of 30 years, Teresa Koonce; daughter and son-in-law, Carla and Joey Jennings; sisters, Jean Smith and Joyce Bethune; and a granddaughter, Tessa Jennings.

Funeral services for Mr. Koonce will be held at 2:00 P.M. Saturday, December 19, 2015, from the Mason Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Casey Bramlett and Bro. Steve Groce officiating.  Interment will follow in the Berryton Cemetery.  Active pallbearers will be Greg Koonce, Kenny Koonce, Jimmy Scruggs, Bill Roach, Stacy Henderson, Randy Henderson, Jimmy Prince, and Bryan Colbert.  Honorary pallbearers will be Steve Groce, Joe Reed, Bobby Brown, Everett "Porky" James, Billy F. "Pig" Mitchell, Donnie Baker, Rusty Dooley, Mike Wilson, Charlie Chamlee, Lefty Norton, Ricky Hammonds, Doug Jones, Dink Willingham, Tom Drummond, all former golf friends, Harry Barnes, Bud Reynolds, Alec Johnson, Farrill Allen, Kenneth Hunter, Charles Hall, all former Telephone Company Employees, the Berryton Cemetery Clean-up Crew, employees and staff of Homestead Hospice, and the employees and staff of Oxton Place.

Mr. Koonce will be in state at Mason Funeral Home and the family will receive friends from 6:00 until 8:00 P.M. Friday, December 18, 2015.

Mason Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements for Mr. Kelly Lamar Koonce who died on Wednesday.