Phadra Barksdale Hanks

Phadra Phatona Barksdale Hanks departed this world on Sunday, July 11th. A native of Harriman, TN, Phadra was born on Aug 7, 1963 to Carrie Elizabeth Rowan Barksdale and the late Marcellus Barksdale. As a child, Phadra told her sister that she would one day be a business owner. Phadra married her high school sweetheart, Albert G. Hanks. She was a world traveler; living in Japan, Germany, France and England. She visited over 50 different countries worldwide. Phadra worked in Accounting and Finance for the Department of Defense while being stationed at various bases throughout Albert’s 20 years of service in the Air Force. Once they moved back stateside, Phadra began her studies and obtained a degree in Business from Villanova University. After hitting a ceiling in the corporate world, Phadra made the decision to follow her childhood dream and start her own business. In 2002 Hanks, Hanks & Associates, LLC was created in her home office as a contract consulting and business finance firm. Over the years, Phadra has grown her company from herself as the lone employee up to 154 employees and obtaining contracts with the Small Business Administration, Government Accountability Office, General Services Administration, Millennium Challenge Corporation, Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, and Department of Transportation. Phadra prided herself on building a business that operated with a spirit of excellence and through that motto along with hard work and continuing to put her best foot forward; Phadra established herself as a successful business woman. Phadra broadened her horizon in not only being a top-notch CEO, but tapped into public speaking and business coaching. Phadra is the recipient of numerous awards such as Maryland Small Business Person of the Year 2019, SBA Small Business of the Year 2019 and DoT 8(a) Small Business of the Year back to back years. Phadra believed in living a well-balanced life. Coming from a musical family and growing up in the family church built by her father, Sevier Drive Church of Christ she sang in the choir at Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan, helped start the gospel service and choir in Zweibrucken, Germany, sang in the choir at Vogelweh Gospel Services in Kaiserslautern, Germany along with being a member of the gospel group Vision that toured all of Europe. Back stateside, she was a member of the praise and worship team at Evangel Cathedral before she helped be a part of the launch team of River of Life Church and served on the praise and worship team there as well. In 2002, Phadra helped Albert start his own church in Waldorf, MD Tree of Life Community Church under the covering of Believer’s Voice of Deliverance. They retired from pastoring Tree of Life to move to Winter Garden, FL in 2014. Phadra believed in faith, love, loyalty and family. She loved to coordinate various events to bring her family together. Phadra will be lovingly remembered by her husband Albert G. and her daughter Precious (Rameal) Carter, by her grandchildren Dynasty Carter, Eleecia Carter, Asaiya Hanks, Zion Hanks and Azara Hanks, her mother Carrie Elizabeth Barksdale of Harriman, TN, her sisters Darlene (Charles) Johnson of Oak Ridge, TN, Marcia McMahan of Nashville, TN, Trellis Barksdale of Oak Ridge, TN and Sharrieffa Barksdale Blair of Indianapolis, IN and sister-in-law Ivy Barksdale of Lexington, KY. She was proceeded in death by her father, Marcellus Barksdale, sister, Eleece Barksdale McCleskey, brother, Val Barksdale and son, Albert M. Hanks. To accommodate all loved ones and friends who want to attend Funeral services for Phadra will be held at Harriman High School Gymnasium 920 N. Roane St., Harriman, TN 37748 on Monday, July 19th at 12:00pm Floral arrangements may be sent to Kyker Funeral Home 430 Morgan Ave. Harriman, TN 37748. The family will be receiving friends for the viewing from 10am-12pm before the service. Interment will follow at Oak Grove Cemetery in Rockwood, TN. **Please adhere to CDC guidelines** The family requests face masks be worn and social distancing be practiced.

Phadra Barksdale Hanks

August 7, 1963 - July 11, 2021