Ivan Faulkner, 84, of Fayetteville, AR, passed away on March 4th, 2025 at the VA Hospital in Fayetteville. He was the son of Elton E. Faulkner and Ruby Denton. He was preceded in death by his parents.
He is survived by one son, Emery Faulkner, and his wife, Younee; his best friend, June Smith; grandsons, Louie Ryu and his wife, Britny, and Jaei Ryu and his wife, Hwajin; great-granddaughter, Ellanor Ryu; and his sisters, Emily Austin and Sherry Rodgers.
Ivan was a faithful servant of God for over 60 years, working as a pastor, deacon, teacher, and mentor. One of the things Ivan was most proud of was his radio ministry. His on-air program lasted for over twenty-five years until KURM Radio went off the air in 2024. Ivan worked as an electrical engineer and retired from SWEPCO. Following his retirement, he devoted himself to helping others learn about the Lord and pastored many small churches in the local area. Ivan loved the Lord and was still teaching a small group at Cross Church every Thursday night up until a week before his passing.
Ivan joined the U.S. Marines on March 22, 1957, at age 17 with his parents’ permission and honorably served his tours in the Asia theater and around Cuba. His area of expertise was demolition. Ivan loved his country and was proud to be a veteran.
Ivan was a family man and spent his life helping his family—building houses, repairing cars, farming, and even an occasional day of hunting. He was always there for his family. He will be missed by all.
Visitation with friends and family will be from 4:00 to 6:00 PM on Friday, March 14th, 2025 at Beard’s Funeral Chapel.
Funeral services will be at 11:00 AM on Saturday, March 15th, 2025 at Beard’s Funeral Chapel in Fayetteville, Arkansas, officiated by Pastor David McKinney.
Private family interment will follow in Drakes Creek Cemetery.
Just want to say, Thank you to everyone for making my Dad’s life fulfilled. He loved each one of you very much. He was always teaching in his own way. He always talked of heaven and is there now. For this I am grateful. God is always good. I hope each one of you make the same decision as my Dad and follow in the path of Jesus Christ. As for me I am happy for him but I will miss him very much. He was my best friend.
I am very sorry to learn of Ivan’s passing.
We were very good friends during school days in Lincoln, Arkansas.
We lived about a 1/2 mile from each other and would occasionally spend the night together at our house or his.
We would walk through the woods as I lived at the bottom of the mountain and he lived at the top.
We have walked home from our school in Lincoln to home just past Cane Hill, Ar, just for the fun of it instead of riding the bus. That was about 6 miles.
I remember and have thought many times of how Ivan liked Tennessee Ernie’s song ‘Sixteen Tons’. He would sing along with it when it was being played on the radio.
We went our separate ways after high school and weren’t together much after that. I did see him a couple of times at Lincoln School class reunions.
I contacted Ivan and went by to see him in August of 2023. After that we visited by phone a few times.
I will miss him and always remember him.
Ronnie Spencer
There are no words to describe how much this man has meant in my life, I loved and respected him, will miss him! He was always there in my life, A son to my favorite Uncle, so when ever we visited family he was a big part of the family. He has also shared his beliefs with me, we shared the stories of our ancestors, he was working on a family story so Emery I hope you will pass that one on. Heaven has gained the best of us!
I will never forget the good times Bob and I had with him. He was a very special person and I am sure he will be missed.
Ivan : Rest n Peace
My big brother was always there. Being over a decade older than me, Ivan filled his role perfectly. He was watching over his baby sister from day one. At all the important times in my life, he would be there to praise, offer advice, or just comfort with a huge hug, when no words could help. His own life was not without its pain and sorrow. But I watched him draw closer to his own source of comfort as the years passed. His faith in the protection of his God was stronger than anything this world could throw at him. Ivan was a protector and counselor for many, many people. I was just fortunate enough to have him in that role from birth. I will desperately miss having him put his arms around me and hearing him say “How are you doin’, kid?” No one else has ever cared about the answer to that question more than my big brother.
He was pastor at our small church in Gravette for a few years. He was a very teacher. Prayers for his family