This is the story of a family tree, a walnut tree, and a cherry tree. But not just one; quite a few.
Floyd Donley, a Sun City resident and member of the Woodchucks, recently fulfilled a request from his daughter.
Each piece of Donley’s work is handcrafted with care and precision. (Photo by Christine Such/My Sun Day News)
“My daughter has a glass coffee table. She is tired of seeing the dust on it as the sunlight streams through the window and the fingerprints and smudges,” he said.
Donley used some of his mother’s farm wood to build a coffee table for his daughter.
Mike Shortridge, vice president of the Woodchucks, had praise for Donley.
“Floyd at 92 is like the old woodcarver, Geppetto,” he said. “He creates something enchanting out of wood.”
Donley hand-carved the table’s legs, which are turned to lend a touch of traditional elegance. The entire piece is hand-sanded to perfection.
Donley said, “I started this project in August of 2024, and now it will leave the shop to add the final touches at home.”
His daughter anxiously awaits the coffee table to replace the glass table, and the grandchildren are eyeing the table. The piece is a one-of-a-kind conversation piece that hopefully will be passed on from generation to generation. Friends and family sit around the table, telling how the wood came from Donley’s mother’s farm, made by Donley for his daughter and inherited by grandchildren. It’s a piece to be cherished and appreciated for all the hard work and time put into it.
When asked about his next project, Donley said he might choose a smaller-scale work.
“Nothing big,” he said. “I may make a bowl or something similar.”
