Bethel Ray Poston Jr., age 82, of Kingston, passed away December 28, 2019. Bethel Poston is a product of the Oak Ridge school system. He and his wife Carol (Nussmeyer) started first grade in Oak Ridge and graduated from ORHS. After attending Vanderbilt and UT colleges, Bethel moved to Kingston where he and Carol raised three sons. He opened Poston & Company, a retail furniture and appliance store at Kingston in 1958 and expanded into Crossville, Rockwood, Oak Ridge and Harriman. After forty years Bethel sold businesses to Greer’s Furniture. For the last 10 years he has been with Fowlers Furniture in corporate management as a buyer and later as a marketing manager. He also developed several other retail businesses such as; a group of liquidation outlet stores, a laundromat and dry cleaners. Along with his wife they opened a fabric store and were active partners in Pennybacker House Restaurant in Kingston. He has served as president of the Roane County Chamber, the Kingston Jaycees and the Kingston Business Association. As Chamber president he was involved in setting up Roane County’s Industrial Development Board, including hiring of the Executive Director and oversight of the first year of operation. Later he served as Treasurer on the IDB for over twenty years. Bethel lobbied to locate a community college in Roane County and served on Roane State’s Management & Supervision Advisory Committee. He ran for Roane County Executive (mayor), although not elected, he traveled all over Roane County and Oak Ridge becoming acquainted with a bunch of people throughout the area. Upon retirement he had the time to pursue freelance writing, something he had always enjoyed. He is survived by his wife: Carol Poston; sons: Barry and Bryan Poston; grandchildren: Bethel Ray Poston IIII, Stephanie Kostreva, Brady Poston and Brannon Poston; and 8 great-grandchildren. The family will receive friends from 1 until 2 p.m. Friday, January 3, 2020 at First Baptist Church in Kingston. Funeral at 2 p.m. with Reverend Jody McLoud and Reverend Dale Darley officiating. Burial will follow at Kingston Memorial Gardens.