Neil Edwin Fitzgerald, age 77, was born on Sept. 24, 1942 in Holly, MI to William and Leola Higgs Fitzgerald. He passed away on July 22, 2020. He is survived by his loving family and friends.
Neil was a people person! He enjoyed life and had fun in every moment! He loved being on the water and got his biggest grin from being called “Captain Neil” of the Irish Rover. Captain Neil loved to tell stories true and old of his rich Irish heritage and numerous Fitzgerald Family moments.  Father, Friend, Brother, Grandpa, you will be greatly missed and know your legacy will carry on!

“AHOY! Captain Neil of The Irish Rover. AHOY!”

Jackie Douglas Reagan, age 63, was born on Sept. 16, 1956 in Detroit, MI to James Bedford and Betty Jewell Dennis Reagan.  He quietly left this life on July 19, 2020 in Knoxville, TN.  Most times, he could be found with the church, reading his Bible, or outdoors working with his hands. Jackie was a carpenter by trade and worked for Crossville Rubber Products for many years.

His wonderful life will forever be cherished in the lives of his wife of 44 years – Karolyn Reagan; children – Kelly Pugh (Sean), Brian Reagan (Lindsey), and Kevin Reagan (Ashley); grandchildren – Hunter, Kailey, Marlee, Nora, Callan, Karsen, Jaxon, and Emma Kate; great grandchildren – Stella & Orion; siblings – Vickie, Donald, Sandy, and Donna.

Jackie was preceded in death by his parents.

The family will receive friends on Thurs., July 23, 2020 at Vandever Baptist Church from 5-8pm.  The funeral service will be Friday, July 24 at 12pm at Vandever Baptist.  Gary Hargis will officiate with burial in Hale’s Chapel Cemetery.

January 27, 1929 – July 12, 2020

Mark Aiken Heald grew up in Princeton, NJ, son of Mark Mortimer Heald and June Kilts Kild. At age 8 with his parents, the family were eye-witnesses of the fiery end of the Hindenburg zeppelin. In the early 1930s the family acquired a one-acre island in one of the Rideau Lakes of southern Ontario, where they built a rustic summer camp – dearly beloved of the enusing family for man years.

Mark graduated from Princeton HS in 1946. Mark’s high-school years coincided with WW-II. He was very active with the local Boy Scout troop and their wartime projects. Beginning in fifth grade he took instruction on the clarinet. He taught himself the alto saxophone in order to play in classmates’ Glenn-Miller-style danceband.

He graduated from Oberlin College, Ohio, as a Physics major in 1950. He continued in the gradate school at Yale University, receiving his PhD in 1954.

In Oberlin he met Jane Dewey, who had grown up in Montana. Mark who was years ahead of Jane, so there was an active exchange of letters for two years between New Haven and Oberlin. They were married on Jane’s graduation day in 1952.

Upon completion of the PhD, Mark worked in a research program at Princeton University on controlled nuclear fusion, attempting to develop a method to extract useful civilian energy in a controlled way from the fusion of hydrogenic nuclei. Two children, Kate and John, joined the family during this time. Mark was a technological delegate to the 1958 “Atoms for Peace” conference and exhibition in Geneva, Switzerland.

In 1959 Mark accepted a teaching position at Swarthmore College in suburban Philadelphia. The college provided research sabbaticals. The first of these, 1964-65, was a wunderyear: Mark had a 9-month appointment at a British atomic energy lab. The family lived in a charming rural village of south Oxford. The two extended summers allowed the family to tour the Continent and Great Britain in a British camping van. A third child, Charles, joined the family shortly after the return home. Subsequent sabbaticals were twice back at the Princeton lab, and once at M.I.T.

Mark co-authored three books: Plasma Diagnostics with Microwaves (with C.B. Wharton, 1965), Physics of Waves (with W.C. Elmore, 1969), and Classical Electromagnetic Radiation (with J.B. Marion, 1990).

Mark retired from Swarthmore in 1992. In 1998 Mark and Jane moved into the Uplands Retirement Village in rural Pleasant Hill, Tennessee, where they found warm friendships and many small-world connections with other residents. At Uplands he has worked with the P.H. Child Enrichment Center, the town recycling program, and the community musical Ensemble.

Rev. Dr. James Morris Hannah was born on March 2, 1951 to James Marcus Hannah and Mary Jane Morris Hannah in Connersville, Indiana. His father was a teacher and a basketball coach, and his mother was a music teacher. He has two brothers, William Joel Hannah and Kevin Lee Hannah.

He graduated from Whiteland High School in 1969 and Purdue University in 1973 where he was awarded a Bachelor of Science.

He married Sue Ellen Spencer on May 12, 1973 in the Methodist Church in Carbon, Indiana. Then eight years later, he went to Indianapolis and four years later, graduated with a Master of Divinity from Christian Theological Seminary.

He was ordained Deacon in 1985 and Elder in 1987 in the United Methodist Church. After serving in several Indiana churches for over 30 years, he went to CTS to a Doctor of Ministry, and he got it in 2003.

In 2011, he retired from ministry and moved to Fairfield Glade.

He was also a part of the ministry at the Rivervale Drama Camp for over 20 years.

Morris and Sue have two grown children, Myra Shoemaker and Nick Hannah, and two grandchildren, Brandon Shoemaker and Audrey Shoemaker.

A Memorial Service will be held at the Fairfield Glade First United Methodist Church, July 25th 2020 at 10:00 am underneath the pavilion and will be buried in the memorial gardens.

Funeral services for Robert Dale Kitchens, age 69, of Crossville, TN will be held on Monday, July 13, 2020 at 2:00 at Crossville Memorial Funeral Home. Family will receive friends prior to the service 11:00 – 2:00. He will be laid to rest in Newton Cemetery.

He is survived by his wife, Rita Kitchens; children, Robert Colt Kitchens (Danielle), Lori Neal, Ron Neal, and Lewis Neal (Latisha); a host of cherished grandchildren; and brother: Ray Hargroves.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Billy and Grace Kitchens; son, Randy Neal; and sister, Debbie Hargroves.

Fred Allen Blackmon, age 72, was born on July 12, 1947 to the late David and Geraldine Hollingsworth Blackmon in Meridian, Mississippi. He passed away on July 5, 2020 in Crossville, Tennessee. Fred is leaving behind his beautiful wife of 44 years and a very loving family.

Mr. Blackmon served his country as a United States Army soldier and was stationed in Korea. He was a part of the Freemasonry which enhances and strengthens the character of the individual man by providing opportunities for fellowship, charity, and education. Fred enjoyed many things in his life particularly his grand-kids, they were the light of his life and joy in his heart. He enjoyed the sport and zeal of a good round of golf. If you knew him, you knew he was an accomplished man who was an expert woodsman, he built many things including, banjos and guitars. Fred was talented in doing anything he set his mind to, even, being an Excavator Rodeo Winner. He was a heavy equipment operator specializing in earth-moving equipment and machinery.

He is survived by his wife, Betty Sue Blackmon; daughter, Loretta McGuire (Joe); grandkids, Claire Blackmon, Ben Blackmon, Haleigh Cobb, Ethan Adams, and Anna Kate McGuire; and many nieces and nephews.

Paul Gerrard (Gerry) Wilson, age 74, passed away at home from cancer on March 9, 2020.

Gerry was a consulting design engineer for 47 years. He held an extra class amateur radio license (KI5VE). He taught his trade to those who would listened. Gerry enjoyed target shooting and loved being in the mountains. He also loved the Lord.

He is survived by the love of his life, his wife of 50 years, Susan; sister, Roberta Allen; niece, Annie Allen; nephew James Allen; aunt, Vivian Ratliff; cousins, David Ratliff, Johnathon Ratliff, Linda Pope, and Terry Stehlin.

A memorial service for Gerry will be held on Sunday, July 12, 2020 at 2:00 at the Lake Tansi Thunderbird Lodge with Pastor Roland Smith officiating.

Jase Tristan Myers was born to Rick and Michelle Myers on July 3, 2020.

Memorial service is on Thursday, July 9. Visitation will be from 5-6 p.m. and the service is immediately following.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to Jase’s memorial fund.

07/22/1942 to 07/02/2020

Joe Glenn Cross, age 77 of Crossville TN, went to be with the Lord on July 2nd 2020. He was married to his beautiful bride, Janet Cross, for 58 years and had five wonderful children together!

Joe was quite the man. He honorably served in the US Army and proudly ranked as an E-5 soldier. His family and his country greatly appreciate his service during the Vietnam War. He was always a man of carpentry, from memories his children had of him cutting down trees all over their property to even building their family home. Before residing in Crossville TN, Joe and his family lived in Chicago Illinois and was the Owner/Operator of an auto body repair shop of twenty years, Owner/Operator of a taxi cab service of ten years, and a driver for the public transit CTA Bus of ten years. Admiration is the word to describe Joe G. Cross from his wife to his children to their family friends. “We love you, we miss you, and we are proud to call you husband and dad.”

Joe was survived by: wife, Janet Cross; children, Jennie McCluskey (Patrick), Robin Cross, Amanda Bagley (Robert), Erin Lane, and Johnny Cross; 11 Grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren; Sisters, Faye Milner and Anne Dickerson; and brother, Elmer Lee Cross.

Joe was preceded in death by his parents, John Nathan Cross and Jessie Lee Rushing.

Crossville Memorial Funeral Home and Crematory INC. is taking care of the arrangements for Joe G. Cross and appreciates the honor of serving the Cross Family and friends.

Thomas Rodgers (Rodger) Wilhoit age 82, of Crossville, Tennessee joined the love of his life, Ruby Jean (Lee) Wilhoit and the Lord July 1, 2020.

He was born July 17, 1937 in Greeneville, TN to the late Lessie Clyde and Mary “Elsie” (Ruble) Wilhoit. He was a very talented musician who played Country/Honkytonk music with his Band of Gold and recorded albums “Band of Gold” and “The Social World of Rodger Wilhoit.” The band even fronted for well-known artists of that time such as George (Jones) and Tammy (Wynette).  He also won awards for his music and voice. In his later years he played mandolin in Bluegrass groups “The Sounds of Grass” and “Cumberland Mountain Boys.”

A member of Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, he was a kind, caring and generous man who loved all he met. He loved music, animals, traveling and working in his wood-working shop building birdhouses. He also enjoyed fishing, RV-ing and just sitting on his porch or by the fire with his (unofficial) adopted daughter Carla drinking cowboy coffee and talking about nothing and everything.

Rodger is survived by a daughter, Kim Wilhoit; Step- sons Roger Lee and Keith (Petra) Scarberry;  brother John Wilhoit; sister Diane (Ronald) Smith and many beloved grandchildren, nieces and nephews. He also leaves behind dear friend and neighbor Carla Cox, longtime friends Darwin and Vicky Scarlett, his Church family and his Bluegrass family along with many friends he loved dearly. He also leaves behind his constant companion, his cat Tom-Tom (Thomas).

He was preceded in death by his parents Lessie Clyde and Mary “Elsie” (Ruble) Wilhoit; wife Ruby Jean (Lee) Wilhoit; sisters Wanda Rader and Marilyn Pence; brothers William and Mac Wilhoit; and step-daughter Susan Thomas.

Visitation will be held on Friday, July 3, 2020 at Crossville Memorial Funeral Home 2653 N. Main St. Crossville, TN 38555 with visitation from 5PM to 7PM, services following at 7PM.