Linley R. Poffenberger

Linley Roland Poffenberger December 26, 1938 – August 3, 2025 Father. Brother. Grandfather. Trucker. Army Vet. Poker Shark. Rebel With a Diesel Cause.

 Linley Roland Poffenberger, 86, officially put the pedal to the metal and roared off to the Great Beyond, leaving behind a cloud of diesel smoke, a deck of slightly suspicious poker cards, and enough legendary stories to keep family and waitresses talking for decades. 

Born to Benjamin and Leona Poffenberger, Linley came into this world strong-willed and slightly sarcastic—and he stayed that way. As a kid, he threw a no-hitter in a baseball game and rode that glory like a Hall of Famer (and made sure every generation after knew it). He later joined the U.S. Army and was stationed in Alaska, where he learned how to survive frostbite, fix an engine with a pocketknife, and complain about the cold better than anyone alive or dead. 

After the Army, he was a licensed insurance man with Combined Insurance, helping folks prepare for the unexpected—even if he never followed the rules himself. He believed in hard work, firm handshakes, strong coffee, and always calling a bluff at the poker table. He could read a man’s face like a road map and once won a hand with nothing but a pair of twos and a well-timed cough. 

After insurance, Linley did what most legends do—he hit the open road. For 53 years, he drove a semi-truck across this great country, logging more miles than a NASA satellite. He didn't just drive trucks—he raced them. No joke. He competed in semi-truck races before it was cool (or legal), and yes, that was him tearing up the screen in Smokey and the Bandit. If you blinked, you missed him. If you didn’t blink, he still passed you. 

A proud conservative, Linley wasn’t shy about his opinions—or much of anything, really. He spoke his mind, loved his country, and thought most modern drivers should’ve failed their road tests twice. 

He was preceded in death by the love of his life, Sharon Kay, who surely greeted him at the Pearly Gates with a familiar eye-roll and a smirk that said, “Took you long enough.” Also waiting for him with open arms are his brother Everett, grandchildren Cory Russell Poffenberger,Lola Michelle and Wade Roland Poffenberger, Mark Allen Snyder, and Thomas Henry Poffenberger, his parents Benjamin and Leona, and his loyal four-legged co-pilot, Bernie the Dog, who never missed a ride or McDonald’s chicken nuggets. 

He leaves behind a proud and rowdy bunch of survivors—Brother: Brian Poffenberger, Children: Renee (George) Gollehon, Brett Poffenberger, Blaine (Dee) Poffenberger, Sherrie (Marty) Robinson, Ben (Sonja) Poffenberger, Karen (Eric) Sumpter, Jake (Alicia) Poffenberger with 21 Grandkids and 23 Great Grandchildren and his countless friends across every highway from here to nowhere. He also leaves behind a few unfinished poker debts and at least one truck stop waitress still blushing from something he said in 1974. 

A celebration of Linley’s life will be held on Thursday, August 7, 2025 from 5:30 - 7:30 pm at Newcomer Funeral Home (4104 Needmore Rd, Dayton, OH 45424. This will include tall tales, actual laughter, lots of coffee, and zero moments of silence - because Linley wasn’t the quiet type, and neither is his family. Service will be held on Friday, August 8 at 12:30 pm at Newcomer officiated by Jim Mills. 

In his honor, we ask that you never drive slow in the left lane, always tip your waitress, and for the love of all things chrome—check your oil. In lieu of flowers, please help our furry friends, His Hands Extended Sanctuary, St. Paris, OH. 

Ride on, Linley. The road is wide open now, and there’s not a weigh station in sight.