Rev. Aaron Barney Olive

Reverend Aaron Barney Olive, age 81, of Fayette, Alabama, died Monday, June 4, 2018, at Pine Valley Retirement Community in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Services will be 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 6, 2018, at Norwood-Wyatt Funeral Home in Fayette and will be officiated by Rev. Scott McCullar and Rev. Michael Duckworth. Burial will follow at Macedonia Baptist Church (Gumbud) Cemetery with Norwood-Wyatt Funeral Home directing. Visitation will begin one hour prior to services. He was preceded in death by his parents, Cecil and Minnie Potts Olive; sisters, Helen Jean McClain and Lola Mae McClain. Survivors include his wife, Carol Hughes Olive; daughter, Sandi Faulkner (Gary Faulkner); sons, Joey Olive (Melanie Olive), David Olive (Ashley Olive); grandchildren, Hannah Olive, Jessica Olive, and Forrest Faulkner. Barney Olive graduated high school from Berry High School in 1956 where he lettered in all sports. After high school, he joined the United States Navy and then married his sweetheart, Carol Hughes of Fayette. He was stationed at Roosevelt Roads Naval Base on the island of Puerto Rico. While there, on Christmas Day 1958, he was introduced to Jesus Christ as his personal savior by missionary, Frank Hooper of the Grace Bible Church. He was very proud of his being the first baptism in the fledgling church’s initial baptistry – a remodeled dairy watering trough with a thatched roof. Shortly after returning home from his naval service, Barney felt the call to preach the Word of God. He enrolled in the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, where he received his diploma and went on to pastor churches in West Alabama for the next forty-eight years. Barney, more affectionately known as Brother Olive, loved “pastoring” his flock. He was blessed with the opportunity to baptize all three of his children and all three of his grandchildren. Barney was an avid hunter and fisherman and loved to talk Alabama Football. He enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren as they were growing up and he was always ready to tell them stories of his “glory days” in high school athletics. In his later years, Brother Olive was a member of the Macedonia (Gumbud) Baptist Church in Fayette, Alabama. His final residence was Pine Valley Retirement Community in Tuscaloosa, where on June 1st he and wife, Carol, celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary. Pallbearers will be his nephews: Frankie Malone, Reggie Malone, Stuart Malone, Terry Malone, David Smith and Terry Sullivan. Honorary pallbearers are friends: Jim Guin, Morris Guin and Terry Guin; nephew, Duane Hall; and members of the congregations he pastored. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Gideons International or the American Cancer Society.