SHELBY- Lt. Sanford "Sandy" Wesley Faulkner, 68, passed away Monday, Jan., 26, 2015, at Carolinas Healthcare Systems-Kings Mountain. A native of Mecklenburg County, he was the son of the late William and Evelyn Speas Faulkner. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He taught ESL (English as a Second Language) at Cleveland Community College for 8 years. He was a Legion of Merit Pin recipient. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He entered the United States Army in 1969 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in Military Intelligence in 1970. Between 1970 and 1974, he served in a variety of intelligence and counterintelligence positions in the US and overseas. In 1974, the Army selected him to attend law school while remaining on active duty. He received his Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Alabama in 1977, where he was a Hugo Scholar, a member of the Bench and Bar Legal Honor Society, and a Justice of the Honor Court. He was assigned duties as a Prosecutor with the 1st Armored Division, Nuremberg, Germany. In 1980, he was appointed to an Assistant Professor at the US Army Judge Advocate General's School in Charlottesville, Virginia and he also served as a visiting lecturer at the Schools of Law, University of Virginia and the College of William and Mary. In 1984, he assumed his duties as Deputy Staff Judge Advocate, United States Army Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, where he specialized in procurement fraud and litigation matters. In 1986 he was assigned to the Office of the Chief Trial Attorney, Contract Appeals Division, Falls Church, Virginia and represented the government in a wide variety of contract litigation. He retired from the Army in April of 1989, after more than 20years of government service. Lt. Col. Faulkner's military decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal and four awards of the Army Commendation Medal. Following his retirement, he joined the firm of Rives and Peterson of Birmingham, Alabama. His practice is limited to government contract protests, claims, disputes, and litigation. He is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, the Supreme Court of Alabama, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the United States Claims Court, the Court of Military Appeals, and the United States Army Court of Military Review. He is a member of the Public Contract Law Section of the American Bar Association, the Boards of Contract Appeals Bar Association, the Alabama Bar Association, where he served as a member of the Military Law Committee, and is a past officer of the North Alabama Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. During his military career he spoke Spanish and German. 
"Go Heels, Go"...."Roll Tide Roll"

In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his mother-in-law, Mary Moffitt.

He is survived by is loving wife of 13 years, Tammy Moffitt Faulkner of the home; one son, Ryan Wesley Faulkner of Colorado Springs, Colorado; one daughter Kristen Faulkner Strange and husband Lee of Tega Cay, SC; one grandchild, Avi Strange.


The family will receive friends from 5 until 7 p.m., Friday, at Clay-Barnette Funeral Home of Shelby and other times at his home. 

The will be a Memorial service held at 3 p.m., Saturday, in the chapel of Clay-Barnette Funeral home of Shelby, with the Rev. Chris Beebe of Saint Francis Episcopal Church in Rutherfordton officiating.

An inurnment will immediately follow the memorial service at Sunset Cemetery.

Arrangements by Clay-Barnette Funeral Home of Shelby.

Online condolences may be made at www.claybarnette.com.